


Hiding Under a Full Moon

by anarchycox



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canonical Character Death, DBBB 2015, Drinking, Fluff, M/M, Sass, Scarred Dean, canon level violence, lots of book references, silly pet names, werewolf benny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-18
Updated: 2015-06-18
Packaged: 2018-04-04 11:40:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 42,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4136091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anarchycox/pseuds/anarchycox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Benny is a pureblood werewolf on the run from his pack to keep his 12 year old potential hybrid daughter safe after the torture and death of her mother, Andrea. </p><p>When Dean went to Stanford, Sam turned him down and Dean hunted on his own until the Wendigo tore him up. Now, all Dean has is a bad leg and some scars to show for it. He's just on the run from his life in general.</p><p>Two broken men end up in the same spot, but how will Dean react to becoming friends (and maybe more) with a monster? A story of pain, growth, family, and finding true love.</p><p>My submission for the DBBB 2015 (deanbenny big bang)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> My submission for the 2015 DeanBenny Big Bang. My huge thanks to my amazing artist rednikjow and my betas ava-wilson-spn and topetine.
> 
> I'm not going to lie, this might be one of my favourite things that I've written.
> 
> I hope you enjoy.

 

 

"Come on Benny, they come to our bar, they deserve what they get." Quentin said staring at the humans.

"Nah, let them be, don't look like they have anything even worth taking." Benny threw another shot back. They had fake I.D.s to cover the fact they were only 18 but the bar was pack territory and no bartender would deny them a drink.

"I'm bored, and need some extra cash. Tell you what, we won't rough them up too much." Quentin grabbed Benny and a couple others and they followed the group of humans.

An hour later, Benny secretly called 911 to pick them up. He wondered if any of them would live.

*****

Benny loved the full moon. He loved watching the sky, waiting for it to come, waiting to just run. Others reveled in the fighting pit, mating with the women, but for Benny it was about running. In their pack they mated and bred young, in order to increase numbers, or at least keep them balanced out, the reckless sort always killing each other in feuds, in needless violence. Purebloods were hard to kill, but in-fighting, and combat always lowered their numbers. At 21 he was supposed to do his duty soon. He was hesitant.

He was offered a girl but he just shifted and ran. If he ran far enough, fast enough he couldn't quite hear the crying.

*****

"Andrea," the girl's thick ponytail swung over her shoulder, "My name is Andrea."

*****

"I'm pregnant." Those words caused Benny to sit down hard.

"But you're human," He stuttered out, "This shouldn't have been possible." Benny reached a hand out to touch her stomach, but quickly pulled it back. Andrea grabbed his hand and placed it on her flat tummy.

"I don't know. I'm scared." Andrea admitted quietly. They had been keeping their relationship secret for a year now. At 22, Benny was supposed to be taking more and more responsibility in his pack, but he didn't like how the pack functioned. He didn't like all the killing, the fighting, the theft. If the old man had found out he was with a human, there would be trouble.

"What do we do Benny?" Andrea started to cry.

"We leave, right now. Run."

They packed up some stuff for Andrea, grabbed what money she had on hand, stole from her parents what they could. They were gone within an hour.

*****

"Elizabeth. Can we name her Elizabeth?"

"That sounds nice." Andrea was exhausted, but smiled watching her Benny cradle the tiny little girl.

Andrea fell asleep listening to Benny sing old sea songs to their daughter. She wondered what being a hybrid would mean for her little girl.

*****

"I'm tired of moving Benny!" Andrea yelled, throwing a dish towel onto the counter. "It's been 7 years, do you really think your pack gives a damn about you anymore?"

Benny closed the door to bedroom, hoping that Elizabeth wouldn't hear yet another fight. "Andrea, trust me, they'll still be keeping an eye out. If we went more north, it could help."

"I don't want to live in the north and deal with the cold. I don't like that I can't see my parents. I don't like that we have can't go back to Louisiana or any of the states that surround it. I hate Arizona." She grabbed a bottle of wine and had another glass. "Why can't you find better work?"

"It's not the easiest finding under the table work. You know that." Benny went to hug Andrea and she brushed him off and went out on the small balcony.

Benny sat at the table. He heard small footsteps. "I have my allowance Papa, will that make Mama less sad if I gave it to her?"

Benny pulled his gorgeous little girl into his lap. "Oh baby girl, don't you worry about such grown up things. I promise it will all be okay."

"It's the full moon, you should go for a run."

"Nowhere safe here to run, little one."

"You miss it."

"I do."

"Will I ever run with you?" Elizabeth really wanted to be a wolf, run beside her dad. But she wasn't allowed to say that where Mama could hear. Mama didn't like to talk about what Papa was and what Elizabeth might be. Not anymore.

"Maybe. That would be fun. Now back to bed with you."

****

Benny sat in the dark, a glass of whiskey in hand. Andrea quietly slipped into the apartment.

"Did he at least treat you well?" He asked quietly. Andrea froze, hand on her purse.

She straightened her back, "Yes, he was a gentleman. Not a monster, like some."

Benny just stood and left the room. He slept on Elizabeth's floor. At midnight he wished his girl happy birthday. 10 was a big deal after all.

****

"What did you do, Andrea?" Benny walked into his house, saw the three men in suits.

"I called your pack, said we wanted to come home." Andrea stared at the man she used to love. "The old man was really sweet, said he would send people to come help us pack, that he missed you, that all would be forgiven."

Andrea didn't seem to notice how scared Elizabeth was. Benny inched over to his daughter, but was stopped by one of the men. He didn't recognize them.

One spoke, "Of course, stray members of the pack are always welcomed back into the fold. There might be a period of adjustment, but it will all be okay. The old man loves even the most wayward of his flock."

*****

Benny could hear Elizabeth's screams, Andrea's sobs. But it was muted, faded. He was too focused on the searing pain in his back. The whipping had stopped and he took a breath. Maybe this would soon be over.

"Oh, god, please, what are you doing? Why? Please don't, you didn't say this is what would happen." He could hear Andrea beg. He had warned her, warned her what the pack was really like, he wished she had believed him.

Hot, searing, blinding heat. The brand pushed onto his shoulder to mark him as traitor, betrayer of a pack, was also laced with silver. It would heal, but always hurt, always ache. It didn't help that the moon was at its lowest, where his healing was at its weakest. The threads of silver now embedded into his skin meant that anytime he tried to shift, it would hurt, cause pain, sometimes agonizing pain.

The men held him up and turned him to face his family as the old man walked in. Benny watched as he walked up to Andrea and slit her throat, spilling her blood onto their daughter. Andrea's body dropped, blood pooling below. The old man gestured. Elizabeth was pushed to follow, Benny dragged along.

_“Tsk, tsk, tsk, Benjamin. We are so disappointed in you.” The old man's voice slithered through the room._ Benny’s head was forced down on the table, blood slowly oozing. Elizabeth sat there, barely 12, scared, crying, blood on her pretty yellow dress. “ _Kill him, let his daughter see the price for betraying our pack, and then bring her to me. She and I will have a… talk._ Hybrids are disgusting, but she might have somevalue.” The old man left the room. The old man was so smart, so cunning, usually. Leaving only three to kill Benny was a bad idea.

Benny had always been strong and years of working hard labour for little cash had made him even stronger. Keeping his little girl safe helped him push through the pain. Benny pushed back against the man behind him. Fought as hard as he could. He managed to get two of the men knocked out and turned to find the third his hands around Elizabeth's throat. Benny froze.

He had to watch as his little girl stabbed the guy with the letter opener she had grabbed from the desk. She didn't go deep, but it startled the guy. Benny brained him with the antique paperweight on the table.

Elizabeth started to shake. Benny grabbed her hands.

"Baby, we have to go, they'll come back in any second. We have to run."

"Mama-" Elizabeth cried.

"Be strong baby, I need you to stay strong." Elizabeth nodded and they snuck out a window. They went around to the garages and Benny managed to hot wire a car.

They drove fast and hard.

Three hours later they pulled over. Tried to catch a little sleep.

"Where are we going to go, Papa?"

"North. We go north." The silver pulsed in Benny's back in time with his accelerated heart beat.

 

 

 


	2. First Meetings

"Eli." Benny kept walking, "Hey Eli wait up!" Benny finally clued in and stopped. "Man, your head must have been in the clouds."

"Something like that." Or it could be that Benny was crap at remembering the name he gave himself. Elizabeth was doing much better at calling herself Clara. "What's up boss?"

"Joel called in sick, was wondering if you could take an extra night shift tonight. I know you've hit your hours for the week so it would mean you get time and a half, and the night shift mostly gets to chill in the break room." Benny had managed to get a job on the janitorial staff at a local hospital. He had to fake a bunch of paperwork but it was a real job, regular paycheques and benefits. He and Elizabeth had found a not too shabby two bedroom apartment and she was slowly adjusting to school. 5 months after running she only had nightmares 4 nights a week. Benny only had them two or three.

"Yeah, boss. Let me go home, feed the kid, check on everything, I can be back by 7pm."

"You're a lifesaver."

"Sure." Benny left and got into the beat up truck they had picked up in Maryland on their drive north. They had ended up in St. Albans, Vermont, small, but not tiny. They could blend in, but still keep an eye out for trouble. Benny grew a beard, Elizabeth dyed her hair brown. Benny tried not to think about how much it made her look like Andrea.

Fall was thickening the air, Halloween wasn't too far away. Benny winced at the clang and bang of the truck, he knew he had to bring it in for repairs soon, but they were only just getting ahead money wise, the day before payday tended to be ramen day. But at least they moved up to the 89 cent ramen, so that was something. Elizabeth never complained.

Benny made it home before Elizabeth and set to making some pasta. He made a meat sauce, the closer it got to the full moon, the hungrier for red meat he got. He set it to simmer and tried to figure out which bills would get paid on time this month. The time and a half was going to come in handy. Elizabeth came clomping in, wearing the slightly too big combat boots she had fallen in love with in a thrift shop. She liked the stomping sound and the extra height they gave her. One day she'd have a growth spurt.

"Hey Daddy." She called as she headed to the washroom. She came back a couple minutes later and helped set the table. They ate slowly, filling in each other about their days.

Benny put his fork down, "Elizabeth -"

"Clara, Dad. You have to always call me Clara, it will help avoid slip ups." 12 and she was far more cunning than him. Again he tried not to think of Andrea.

"The boss asked me to come back in tonight, they were a man short. It means time and a half. I can call and cancel if you need me -"

"Dad, I'll be fine." She smiled reassuringly. Elizabeth knew that every time he left her alone that her dad was terrified, but he pushed passed it, had to let his girl grow, learn.

45 minutes later he was ready to head out. He grabbed his keys and turned ready to begin the lecture, but Elizabeth beat him to it.

"Lock the door and the two bolts behind you. Stay away from the windows, keep distracting noises to a minimum, keep cell phone and baseball hat within arms reach. When I go to bed lock my door, run the silver thread across it. Sleep with the baseball bat in hand." On her tip toes she still couldn't quite reach her dad's cheek but he always bent down for her kiss. "I'll be fine Daddy."

"Course you will, bravest girl in the whole wide world." He breathed in her scent, the lemon in her soap, the orange in her shampoo. Without another word he left, waiting on the other side of the door to hear all the bolts slide home. His feet were heavy as he walked away.

 

*******

 

Elizabeth did keep the bat and phone at hand, and stayed away from the windows but the music was a lot louder than her dad would have liked. But loud music was the only way she was going to get the chores done. Benny had told her that he would take care of the floors, scrubbing the bathroom on the weekend, but that was his job, he didn't need to do it at home too. Plus she was hoping cleaning the apartment would work as a bribe to get a few new shirts and jeans in for winter. So she swiffered, and wiped down counters, did the dishes. She went to her dad's room and stared in horror at the amount of laundry sitting there. He always made sure her stuff was clean, sacrificing his clothes when money got a little tight before payday. But she had been squirreling quarters away and had enough to do a load for her dad.

Elizabeth knew that she shouldn't leave the apartment. She also knew that she and her dad had studied all the other residents of the small building, figured out their patterns and at this time on a Friday night 2/3rds were either asleep or out. Elizabeth grabbed the basket, and the bat and headed down to the basement.

Of course one of the light bulbs in the laundry room was burned out and cast ominous shadows. Of course there was the drip of rain outside, the clash of thunder. It seemed the universe wanted to remind her that this was a dumb idea.

Elizabeth dropped her dad's work clothes into the machine and pushed in the quarters, waiting long enough to make sure that the cycle started before turning and heading to the door. There standing just inside the door where the shadows were longest was a man she didn't recognize. He was in an tank undershirt and ripped jeans. He stepped forward a little and the light shone on the scars that ran down the side of face - three carving into his skin ruining forehead, cheek, jaw, before traveling down his neck and to under the line of his top. He was lucky to still have his eye, but the one scar bi-sected his lip.

Before he could say a word lightening flashed and the power went out. Elizabeth quaked in the dark. She could hear him shuffling closer, his gait somehow wrong, heavy.

"Miss" he began, and it spurned Elizabeth into action. She swung the bat catching him in the stomach. When he bent over she ran, knocking him over. The lights flickered back on and she didn't look back, hurrying up the steps and slamming the door shut. She locked all the bolts and hid in the nook between the desk and the wall. Her fingers trembled as she texted her dad to come home.

Generally the drive from the hospital to the apartment took 11-13 minutes depending on lights and traffic. Benny made it in 8. He approached the building swiftly, running up the steps to their door, relieved at least to see it intact. He knocked and softly called out their code word for an all clear "Beaudelaire" (when 8 Elizabeth had been obsessed with Lemony Snicket and the word stuck).

Slowly he could hear his girl move towards the door, the bolts being thrown. He squeezed in, only pushing the door open as much as he had to. Elizabeth grabbed her dad and didn't let go. Only then did she start to cry. It took him an hour to calm her down enough to get the full story. He'd lecture her later about leaving the apartment but for now he wanted to check out the basement and laundry area. He made sure that Elizabeth was hunkered down in her room, and went to the locked chest under the sofa. Benny pulled out a long chain, the links a mix of silver and iron and wrapped it loosely around his fist. The silver hurt against his skin, but he could live with it, to protect his little girl.

He cautiously made his way down to the basement. The bulb that she said was out, had been replaced. It was as bright as usual. There too was the laundry basket. Only it was filled with clean uniforms and socks. Benny heard a throat clear and looked up. He couldn't tell if Elizabeth had been exaggerating out of fear about how the man looked, by this point he had a hoodie on, the hood pulled low enough to hide a good portion of his face.

"I didn't mean to scare her." The voice was low, a little husky. "I just didn't want her to trip in the dark."

Benny nodded, but didn't loosen his grip on the chain.

"I finished your wash for you. Felt bad about the situation." The man moved forward a little, limping heavily.

"Did my girl do that to you?" Benny looked down at the leg, shocked his petite little girl could actually do serious damage.

"Oh, no. I mean, she had good follow through on her bat swing, but she caught me in the stomach. This is, something else."

Benny nodded, "Well brother sorry about all the mix ups, are you new in the building?"

"Yeah, moved in a week ago." The man stayed a few paces away.

"Well I'm Eli." Benny held out his free hand. The other man didn't move any closer to take it. "The girl, my daughter, is Clara." Benny watched as the guy just turned and headed out of the laundry.

"Brother, you ain't going to introduce yourself?"

The man stilled, but didn't turn back. "You tell me your real name, maybe I'll tell you mine." He left without another word.

Shit, was all Benny could think. He grabbed the basket and headed on up. Again he called out the all clear word as he walked in and watched as Elizabeth came out of her room, bat clutched tensely. She looked very confused at the clean clothes.

"I, ummm, okay I got nothing." was what she came up with.

Benny could help but smile. "New tenant, he didn't mean to scare you, said sorry."

"Oh." Her shoulder's slumped, "That means I hurt just a normal guy? Not a creep, or monster, or tax attorney?"

"What t.v. have you been watching?" Benny wondered at how her brain worked sometimes.

"He looked really scary Daddy." Elizabeth admitted quietly.

"I couldn't tell honey, he had a sweatshirt on, with the hood pulled on pretty low." Benny went over and hugged her. "You did the right thing, but if it is really bothering you, we can make some cookies and you can say sorry." Elizabeth nodded and hugged back tight.

She had a lot of adrenaline still pumping through her, "Do you have to go back in?"

"No I said family emergency, they don't expect me." He kissed her head, "Can you get some sleep?"

"I'm still tense." She was quiet for a minute. "Could you, it's only a few days until the full moon. If it wouldn't hurt too much..."

It would hurt, but for her it was never too much. The silver threaded into his scars made shifting difficult outside the full moon, but this close he could do it without crippling agony. "Go get in bed." Elizabeth went to snuggle in, covers pulled up to her nose.

A moment later the sound of padded feet could be heard. A wolf head poked up. Being stocky, muscular as a human, one would expect Benny to be a huge werewolf, but he was surprisingly sleek, large, but not monstrously huge, built to run. Fur grey, the eyes still that piercing blue. Elizabeth always thought him a beautiful wolf. When she was 9 she had said that to her mom. She never told her dad that her mom hit her for saying it.

Elizabeth giggled as the wolf's tongue took a small lick at her exposed nose. Benny settled on the ground beside the bed, staring at the door. "Thank you Daddy." A sort snort, a huff came from the beast. Elizabeth slept easily.

Benny didn't sleep at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	3. I'll Cookie You

The next morning the two of them went down to the lobby to look at the names plates. The only new one just said occupied beside the slot for the basement apartment that was meant for the building manager.

"He must be the new caretaker then." Benny said needlessly.

"Well at least we know where to take the cookies." Elizabeth smiled, she loved baking with her dad.

"What sort do you want to make?"

"Go for classic, chocolate chip. Everybody loves chocolate chip."

"Sounds good, let's walk down to the shops, get some groceries, maybe even grab a couple books at that used store you like."

"Yes!" Elizabeth ran back upstairs to get some bags.

They had a good time out, even stopped for pizza slices for lunch. Elizabeth bouncing around her dad like a puppy all big gestures and wide eyes. She was growing up so fast, but even with everything that happened still had this innocence about her. Benny wanted to hold on to that as long as possible. She was rambling about a song, or a movie, or something when in the middle she added, "Oh, you need to sign the permission slip for me to have sex ed in gym class."

Benny tripped over the curb. Elizabeth giggled. She had been hoping to catch him unawares with that one.

He paled and then flushed. All he could come up with was a nod.

Elizabeth giggled at her dad's pain and skipped up the steps of the building.

They put some music on and got to work on the cookie dough, in sync after years of practice. Once the first batch was in, Benny cleared his throat, "Um, if you ever have any questions or need me to take you to a clinic to get...stuff...or whatever, you can just ask." He refused to make eye contact.

Elizabeth ate some dough, "Oh don't worry I'll get all the answers I need from the internet, nobody ever lies there right?"

Benny closed his eyes, "Thanks, just thanks, for that scary ass sentence."

"Not a problem." She pulled the cookies out, the smell was delicious. While they cooled she took out a nice tin and wrote a proper apology card, just like her mama had shown her. 1/2 an hour later she deposited it in front the basement apartment.

Elizabeth was very proud of herself. Benny was proud of her too.

The next day the tin was on their doorstep, cookies still inside.

Benny was ready to raise some hell, but Elizabeth just smiled. "We'll try oatmeal raisin."

Oatmeal raisin became butter cookies, which then were white chocolate macadamia, then ginger snaps, then madelaines, though she thought those might be reaching. Even her perfect snickerdoodles were rejected.

At dinner she started ranting, "The snickerdoodles Dad, the snickerdoodles! Who rejects those - they are my best work. Plus is there a better word in the English language than snickerdoodle - I think not!"

"I like the word cairn." Benny added thoughtfully.

"How does the word for burial mound even compare to the name of a sugar, buttery cinnamon cookie?" Elizabeth got a little sidetracked.

Benny just shrugged, "It just sounds nice - cairn. Cairn. _cairn_. I also like klaxon, and chimera."

"Yeah well I like bumbershoot, but this isn't the point. Who doesn't eat free cookies?" Elizabeth fell back into her chair.

"Someone who thinks they're poisoned?" Benny was only joking, but they both froze. "Crap, someone who thinks they're poisoned. Baby we wouldn't eat cookies dropped at our door either." Elizabeth nodded in agreement. "Maybe you should just let this go."

"Nope, that guy is going to accept my apology. Just have to go about it smarter." Benny wasn't going to lie, those words scared him.

Still, he had something else to talk about with her. "Baby tonight is-"

"First night of the full moon. You want to run?"

"I wouldn't mind."

"Course Daddy, I'll be fine." Benny never took for granted her easy acceptance of that part of him. Being a hybrid, she could shift at anytime or never. Too many were killed out right to know what would happen. There were days when he thought it would be amazing to be out in the woods running with his daughter, and others (the days when the silver in his scars burned) he hoped she stayed human.

But right now, the moon was calling to him. He helped with the dishes, but started to get itchy. Elizabeth just made a shooing motion towards the door. Benny headed out breathing in the cool fall air. They had made sure to find an apartment not too far from the hills, from the woods. Benny walked slowly, easily the couple blocks to the edge of the woods and stepped into the trees. He quickly stripped down, hiding his clothes in a hollow.

Tonight shifting only caused a bit of an ache, a settled pain in his joints, that he could easily ignore in favour of stretching out. He yipped and howled. And ran. Just ran. He had no idea how much time passed, so engaged was he in the freedom. It was only when he noticed how far the moon had moved across the sky that he headed back towards home. He was so lost in the happiness of his run that he trotted on home, forgetting his clothes, forgetting to shift. It was only as he padded past the basement windows at the back of the building that he even realized that he hadn't shifted back.

There was a soft light coming from the one apartment in the basement, the one he knew that new guy lived in. Benny knew he shouldn't look in, but while in wolf form he was driven slightly more by instinct than intellect. He lowered himself closer the ground and walked up to the window, hiding in the shadow of a tree as best he could.

At first there was nothing to see. But then there was a noise to the left and the man emerged. Benny couldn't stop the quiet whimper that left his mouth. The man was limping slowly across the living room, wearing only boxers and drying his hair with a towel. His head was covered, but Benny could see where the scars traveled down neck and onto his chest, stopping just above his nipple. Benny's eyes continued their path down, past a toned body, that still had just the smallest hint of tummy pudge, lower to the boxers, and then lower, where Benny saw the twisted and scarred leg. Another whimper escaped his mouth, the smallest whine of sadness.

It looked painful, even more than the brands on Benny's back. Countless scars, the knee area just a mangled mess. The bones looked like they must have been shattered at some point. The man slowly eased his way to the couch and sat down, automatically propping up that leg. Only then did the towel slide away from the guy's face, as he tilted his head back to rest, eyes closed.

Benny had only two thoughts, that must have hurt, and  _mine._ It was a visceral reaction, stronger than what he had even felt the first time he saw Andrea. All he knew was that he wanted to be in there, on that couch, curled up beside the man. He wanted to nuzzle in and lick each of those jagged lines. Benny couldn't help himself and got too close to the window. His nose tapped the glass. The man startled and looked over and Benny ran.

He quickly went back to the woods to get his clothes and shifted back out of sight. He walked back to the building, slowly, hoping that if the guy investigated the noise he was long done. Luck was for once with Benny and he made it back inside without notice.

Benny checked on Elizabeth, pulling her covers up and kissing her head. She made a muffled sound and snuggled in tight. Benny went to have a quick shower, to clear his head. He tried not to think too much about what he had seen. But when he climbed into bed as he was drifting off, he realized that nothing human could have made those marks.

The next morning he didn't tell his concerns to Elizabeth. In the light of day he figured he was worried without cause, there were lots of things that could have done that to a man and there was no need to borrow trouble. It was Sunday and he had to go into work. He left pizza money for his girl and promised to be home by 8pm. As he headed out, he noticed the beautiful vintage car in the lot and couldn't help but whistle. He could have stared for awhile but didn't want to be late.

Two hours later Elizabeth was finished her homework and ready to put her plan in place. She had come up with it last night, and thought it should work. She packed up a bag and went to get one of the folding chairs out from the laundry room. She then headed outside, thankful that it wasn't too cold. She kicked her feet up onto the bumper of the long black car and cracked open her book. She docked her iPod into the speaker and turned it up - loud. And then she waited.

It only took about 20 minutes for the guy to show up. "Hey!" He yelled. Elizabeth ignored him. She listened to the slow shuffle of his feet, that uneven gait as it got closer, "Get your grubby boots off my baby!" Elizabeth just turned another page. Finally the guy was beside her.

Elizabeth looked up slowly, preparing herself. She hated that she was happy that he had a hood up, mostly hiding his face. She smiled politely, and a little vapidly, "Oh hi!"

"Don't 'oh hi' me, little girl. Get your boots off my car." The guy fairly growled. "You are being incredibly rude and bratty you know."

"What, sort of like rejecting a kid's apology and cookies?" Elizabeth turned another page, "Rude like that?"

Silence.

A huff of air.

Some more silence.

"Crap." The guy eased himself down onto the hood of the car, facing Elizabeth. "Okay maybe you got a point."

Elizabeth looked up, "I am sorry I hit you. You scared me."

"I didn't mean to, I just wanted to make sure that you didn't trip in the dark." The guy shrugged and gestured towards his face, "I'm sorry all this scared you." He took a few breaths, "But you should know, you don't really have enough strength to aim for the stomach, aim for balls or a knee. Really take them out on one swing, so that they go down hard and fast."

"It seemed to work on you." Elizabeth pouted.

"Yeah but I was surprised in the dark, you won't always have that advantage." Dean countered. That actually made sense to Elizabeth, though she didn't want to admit it.

Elizabeth reached into her bag pulled out a tin, "You should really have one of the snickerdoodles, they are awesome." She opened it and ate one, "Also, not poisoned if that was your concern."

The guy grabbed a cookie and munched on it happily, diving in for two more.

"I'm Clara." Elizabeth held out her hand politely.

The guy laughed, "Well at least you sell the fake name better than your dad."

"He's kind of horrible at it, isn't he?"

 

When Benny got home from work that night, Elizabeth was reading Cat's Cradle.

"Where'd you get that book honey?" Benny stripped down to his underwear thankful to be out of his janitorial uniform and desperate for a beer.

"Guy in the basement lent it to me. He finally accepted my apology."

"You didn't go into his place did you?" Benny asked.

"No Dad, I ambushed him by his car, that pretty black one."

"Of course you did." Benny shook his head, he should have known she wouldn't just let it all go. Benny headed to the washroom.

"Dean." She called out, "His name is Dean."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	4. Hunters and Halloween

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rednikjow did a really neat photo here. It's isn't from a specific moment in the story, rather one of the implied one. It's a photo belonging to the Dean and Emma book club that Benny mentions, and Dean is writing a note back to Em. I think it's a really cool interpretation of one of the background things in the story.

Benny didn't actually see the guy for another two weeks. Elizabeth had, because it seemed that the two of them had started a weird book club, leaving novels outside the doors for each other. There would be a post it on top with notes on why they left that book or what they thought of the latest offering. Benny didn't read a lot, so he was happy Elizabeth had someone to do this with.

It had been a rough day at the hospital, there had been a nasty accident and the emergency area was jam packed. A kid had gotten loose and run into Benny, while bleeding heavily from a couple lacerations, getting it all over Benny's uniform. The problem was that the company only supplied two new extra jumpsuits a year on top of the four you got when you started. And the last cut off date to order one had been a few weeks ago. So unless Benny could get the stains out, he'd be out 100 bucks that they didn't have. He was down in the basement just in sweats and a t-shirt trying to scrub them out in the large tub.

"Hot water will just make it worse." Benny turned, recognizing the man's - Dean's - voice.

"I'm trying to soak it out." Benny explained.

"Yeah but hot water will just kind of help spread it around and let it settle in." Dean shuffled over and pulled the plug. He squeezed out the as much of the water as he could. He then put the uniform back in the tub and ran cold water over it. He then grabbed some salt from the cabinet below and turned it into a bit of a paste putting it over the worst spots on the jump suit.

"Let that sit for about 20 minutes and then scrape it off. Throw your kit into the washer on a cold cycle and a little extra detergent, should get the job done."

"Thanks brother." Benny said. He wondered why that caused the guy to flinch. "Where'd you learn so much about getting blood out?"

"Me and my brother were pretty rough and tumble, you pick up a few things." Dean looked like he wanted to bolt, but also didn't want to be rude.

A few minutes of awkward silence passed, finally Benny thought of a question to ask.

"Your brother, he here in town too?" Benny watched the salt turn pink where it covered the worst of the stains.

"Nah, he's out west finishing up at Stanford. Going to go to law school."

Benny whistled, "Impressive."

He couldn't really see Dean's face, but could just tell there was a smile on it, "Yeah, he's the smart one."

A silence fell. Benny racked his brain for something more to say as the clock ticked annoyingly loud in the background, finally coming up with, "Your car is a beaut."

"Ain't nothing better than my baby." This seemed the conversation that would cause the other man to relax. "She's seen me through a lot."

"You take care of her yourself, or you got someone here in town?” Benny started to scrape the salt off, clock showing close to enough time had passed. "Only asking, because my truck needs some work, but I don't have a lot of spare cash. Need to find someone on the cheap."

Dean was clearly thinking. "What's your name?" He asked.

"Eli." Benny replied. He stared at Dean, trying to exude an aura of honesty, of Eli-ness. Dean just stared back. Benny was the one to blink first.

"What's your name?" Dean asked again.

"Benny."

"Benny, I'm Dean." The guy was silent for a minute. "The owner of the building wants me to do some new weatherstripping around the second floor windows. With my leg, I'm not so good on the ladder. You help me with that, and I'll give your truck a look over. Deal?"

"Deal." Benny tossed the uniform into the washer and held out his hand to Dean. Dean hesitated before shaking. His hand was firm, callused in odd places. And warm.

********

It was a cool Thursday afternoon when they went to work on the windows. Still, four hours later when they were done, both men had worked up a sweat. Benny had ditched his hat and jacket and was down to his shirtsleeves and suspenders. Dean, however, had stayed covered up. Benny hadn't actually seen his face yet (not when he wasn't spying that is). They packed up all the gear into the shed and Benny was headed back upstairs.

"I have a couple beers." Benny turned back and Dean sort of shrugged, continued to say, "If you want one."

"Sure brother, weatherstripping is a mighty thirsty business." Benny followed the guy downstairs. The apartment was bare, little in the way of decoration, the furniture old and worn (not unlike a few of the pieces he and Elizabeth had). There were milk crates with books, tapes. A laptop on the coffee table, a couple cases of empties waiting to be taken to the bottle depot, an older but decent stereo system. It looked like it would take less than an hour to pack up the essentials and be gone.

He watched Dean walk into the kitchen and grab a couple bottles of beer and a bag of chips. He slowly limped back into the living room and sat down.

"If you need to put that leg up, it won't bother me none." Dean froze a little, and Benny sat himself a good distance away. Dean slowly eased his leg up onto the coffee table and let out a sigh of relief. "Can put the hood down to, if you want." Dean just shook his head no. "Fair enough brother, got some scars on my back, I got no interest in sharing either."

Silence settled in. Benny took a few gulps of beer.

"Hey that salt trick got the blood out great, thanks for that."

"No problem."

"How come you had salt in the laundry room anyways?" Benny was a little curious.

"Handy stuff to have around. Stains, kills slugs, good on fries." Dean explained.

"Keeps ghosts out." Benny said without thinking.

"Wait, how'd you know that?" Dean asked.

Shit was all Benny could think. "I'm a fan of all those ghost hunting, yeti chasing, alien believing shows. Must have been mentioned on there."

He couldn't see them, but could tell that Dean was rolling his eyes, "You're not saying it was aliens..."

Benny grinned, "But it was totally aliens."

Benny finished up his beer, "I just want to thank you for the books you leave Eliz - um Clara. She doesn't make friends easy, and I'm not really the reading sort. It's a nice gesture."

"Hey it's cool. I believe she's what they call a firecracker. You're going to be in trouble in a couple years."

"Already in trouble. There are days I wish her mama was still around." Benny shook his head.

"Where is she?"

"Gone." was all Benny could say. He stood, "Well thanks for the beer brother. Maybe El - Clara and I can cook for you one night."

Dean slowly got to his feet to see Benny out. "Dude, you need to get better at lying."

"I'm good enough when it's called for." Benny tripped on his shoe laces and nudged the door mat a few inches over. Enough to see the devil's trap underneath. He tried desperately not to react as he stammered a goodbye and ran out the door.

Salt. Devil's Trap. Those scars. Fuck if that's not a hunter. Benny had no idea what to do.

 

**********

 

When thrown for a loop, Benny had found that the best thing to do was keep your head down and not make waves. He kept an eye on the hunter, did passing in the hall conversations, let he and Elizabeth keep their book exchange going - changing the routine would only cause suspicion. He also thought of three ways to kill Dean and another four ways to dispose of the body. He hid a lock box with cash, a knife, and a couple other things in the car in case they had to bolt.

He knew that he could take Dean out without much effort, but where there was one hunter there could always be more. Sorento had taken pleasure in tracking and killing hunters, and the old man had been pleased with this. Benny had never taken part, he always thought that if you could blend in, hide, it was the better option. Still he tried to prepare for every worst case scenario he could think of.

What Benny didn't expect was, nothing. Nothing changed. The guy was still just the building manager, scarred, limping, hidden. He didn't break in in the night and try to kill them. There was no influx of F.B.I. or out of town reporters, just nothing. Benny didn't want to let his guard down, but he grew a little less worried.

And by then he realized that Halloween was in two days.

Elizabeth was excited about Halloween. She felt a little too old to trick or treat at this point, but the main drag of town was decorated, shops were open with specials, and give aways and contests and it looked like a lot of fun. She had convinced her dad that she could be dropped off and poke about with a couple of her school friends. He even gave her 30 dollars and said he would pick her up at 9pm, which was the latest she had ever gotten to stay out without supervision.

She had haunted the used stores in town and managed to pull together a costume that she though was neat. Elizabeth got dressed carefully, pleased with the final results. She picked up the picnic basket and skipped out of her room.

"Nope." was all her dad said.

"Oh come on, it's a little funny." She spun around the red cape flowing around her. Only instead of the traditional dirndl under the cape she wore jeans with red chucks and a t-shirt that said 'who's afraid of the big bad wolf.'

"I feel like you've been reading that comic _Fables_ a little too much." Benny had to admit he had read a bunch of it when Elizabeth had gotten the trades out of the library. It was nice to read about the Big Bad Wolf being a sheriff, and almost a good guy.

"Would that make you Bigby? Ooooh that means we need to find your Snow White. Was Mom your Snow White?" This was something Elizabeth was actually really curious about. She knew that the werewolves born to long lines like her dad had been often mated for life.

Benny was quiet, trying to figure out how to say this to his daughter. Every day he was thankful for Andrea because it gave him Elizabeth, but he had to say, "No she wasn't my Snow." Benny smiled, shaking off the sadness that fell, "Maybe your costume is a bit funny."

Elizabeth giggled, "Knew it. Now drive me to Starbucks."

He drove her to the main drag and dropped her off where her friends were waiting. Benny couldn't help but call out, "Don't stray from the path on the way to Grandmother's house and be home before dark." He winked and Elizabeth waved.

Benny decided to just drive around a bit, feeling restless. Finally he succumbed to his nerves and parked the truck and snuck back on the main thoroughfare and went to the bar on the corner. It had tons of windows and he could easily see the shops and festivities. He knew he was being paranoid, but too much had happened for him to take Elizabeth being out on her own easy. He sipped slowly at a beer, wincing at the pumpkin ale at first, but growing to like it as he went on.

He heard a shuffle of feet even through the noise of the bar, he knew that shuffle without even looking. He just pulled out the stool beside him, "Park your butt there Dean." He heard the creak of the stool, but didn't look over yet.

"How'd you know it was me?" The clink of a glass on the table.

Benny was honest, "Your gait is rather singular." He looked over, and saw Dean's face.

Well, almost his face. He had done up face paint to look like a victim from a slasher movie, t-shirt splattered with fake blood, the scars looking like they were fresh, oozing. But it was him - finally. It wasn't through a window with a wolf's eyes, it was Benny seeing Dean. And Benny wasn't disappointed. He could see that the scars were vicious but they didn't detract from the endless green of Dean's eyes. Where the one bisected his lip, it didn't diminish the fullness, the redness of them. And they sure as hell didn't lessen the cuteness of the small bit of freckles across his nose. Benny even found it adorable that the guy was missing a bit of his ear right at the top.

For Benny it wasn't that he could see how attractive Dean used to be, that he needed to look past the scars. They were a part of Dean's face, like his brow, his nose. And to Benny's eyes the guy was really hot. And a hunter. It was a little awkward. So Benny went back to drinking his beer and scanning the street, occasionally catching a glimpse of Elizabeth's cape.

"You know it's pretty safe here." Dean said, having seen Elizabeth as well.

"And that's why I'm in here, and not trailing 20 feet behind her." Benny said agreeably. He sighed, looked at the bit of left over foam in his glass. "It's the first time she's been out on her own like this."

"But she's like twelve." Dean sounded so confused.

"Yeah, 12." Benny looked at the other man, "How old were you when your parents let you hang out alone at night?"

Dean though about it, "Dad started leaving me I guess at about 8."

Benny looked at him in horror, especially since Dean didn't seem to find this odd at all. "You were left alone at 8?"

"Well no, I wasn't alone, my little brother Sammy was there too."

"I...I got nothing." Benny's heart broke at the other guy finding this perfectly normal. "How old are you?"

"27."

"34 for me."

"So, ancient then." Dean smirked.

"Smart ass." Benny nudged his shoulder. Conversation flowed easily over another beer, about music, food, random places they had seen on the road. It was the best time Benny had had in years. For a little while he forgot to worry about what Dean was and just focused on who he was. It was nice. Still, it was almost time to pick up Elizabeth. Benny dropped some money on the table and stood.

Not thinking anything of it after the way they had been talking, Benny laid his hand on top of Dean's, thumb gently rubbing thumb. His smile tipped past friendly into flirty. "Got to go get my girl. Maybe though we could do this again."

Dean snatched his hand back. "Don't think so pal. I'm not that kind of guy." A shudder of almost revulsion went through the younger man. "You just keep to yourself and we'll be good."

"Right. Sorry to bother you brother." Benny left the bar swiftly.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you can't see the photo you can also try here https://41.media.tumblr.com/91da331355c6f946cc50d050ea815cf1/tumblr_nq61ni8Wsc1tiwyado1_1280.jpg


	5. It's Easy to See When You Look

Benny knew Dean was avoiding him. Fine, it was a shame, but Benny never bothered where he wasn't wanted. He read the situation wrong, no big deal. What was a big deal though was coming home to see Elizabeth on the couch with a pile of books in front of her. Her Lemony Snicket books. Her favourite books.

"I left these for Dean two days ago, and he never took them in. He just left them on his step." She touched the cover of _The Austere Academy_ , that now had a streak of dirt across it. Elizabeth was so careful with the books. Each move, each time they had to run, these books always made it.

"Right." Benny put down his lunch pail and headed for the door.

Elizabeth jumped up, "No Dad. Stop!" She grabbed his arm. Anyone else would have gotten a snarl, his blood was up enough, but not her, never her. "Dad, please. You don't have to go all Hulk here. It was silly to leave him kids books. Silly to think he'd want to be friends with a kid. It's no big deal." She squeezed her dad's fingers tight. "It's fine."

Benny pulled her into a hug, "No, it's not. He's pissed at me and taking it out on you. That's never fine."

"What'd you do?" Elizabeth was curious, her dad rarely ticked people off.

"We were having a beer. It was nice. I may have misread the situation. He didn't like that."

"Oh."

"Yup. Oh." Benny moved her bangs to the side, kissed her forehead. "Win some, lose some right?"

Elizabeth was too busy plotting to answer her dad. But that's okay, Benny was plotting too.

For Benny it was simple and direct. He was pleased with the results, even if he didn't see Dean's reaction.

Dean for his part, was honestly a little nervous. He knew he was being a jackass to Elizabeth, she hadn't done anything wrong, but he didn't want to deal with Benny. It wasn't the first time a guy had hit on him, that had started when he wasn't quite 15. Maybe he had sometimes flirted back, to get extra fries, or discounts on rooms. Never in front of his father though, never then. There had been a time or two where he had been almost desperate enough to take up some of the financial offers that came his way, but he had never had to actually cross that bridge. He liked girls. Maybe once or two he had thought a guy was attractive or noticed a nice dick in some porn, but he liked girls. Now, when he didn't need to flirt with guys to help get by, it made him uncomfortable. Especially if they had warm hands, and a shining smile.

So better to just brush the guy off. Cut off ties to the girl. Move on, maybe literally. Nothing was keeping him here, it was just a place he landed. Wanted to get far away from Sammy. Another year now gone, no talking since that meet up at Stanford. No dad, just vanished, chasing the yellow eyed demon. A quarterly phone call with Bobby now that he was healed up as much as he ever was going to be. But he wasn't lonely. He did have every post it that Elizabeth had written in the drawer of his night table, but that didn't mean anything.

He got to his front door with his groceries - well his chips and beer - and saw that there was a steak knife embedded in the door, holding a note.

 

_You made Clara sad._

_You damaged her favourite books._

_You EVER come near her again -_

_I'll eat your heart_

 

_Eli_

 

Well, couldn't say that wasn't straightforward. A little gruesome, eating his heart was an oddly specific threat, but straightforward. Also, back to the fake names. Real name privileges revoked. Dean wouldn't think about how that oddly hurt. He tossed the knife onto his table and drank four of the beers. And later added that note to the pile in his drawer.

Elizabeth was more subtle than her dad. There wasn't a steak knife. Instead she spent the money on a sheet of exquisite handmade paper and a matching envelope. It even smelled a little like vanilla. She slipped it under his door. But the sentiment was similar.

 

_Jackass._

_Come near either of us again --_

_I'll eat your heart._

_Also I want my other books back._

_Oh and Breakfast of Champions had a weak narrative and unsympathetic characters and was lazily written._

 

Ouch, Dean thought. That hits right where it hurts. Dean loved Vonnegut, and it wasn't something he shared with others easily. His dad didn't care about Dean reading anything beyond monster lore and Sam just never noticed. But Dean spent a lot of time in libraries, waiting during stakeouts. After Sam left, he had a lot of hours to kill, so, books.

And again with the eating of his heart. Super specific threat that. It tickled something at the back of his brain, but he couldn't place what. Still, he added that note to the pile in his drawer and grabbed the few books of Elizabeth's that he had. He started to head out, but turned and went back to one of the milk crates. Grabbed a very beat up, pages taped back in book, and added it to the pile.

Elizabeth didn't notice that book at first, it was in the middle of the pile of her books. She brought them into the house and was putting hers away on the shelf in her room when she saw it. The cover was barely holding on, pages clearly taped in, dog eared beyond anything.

It looked destroyed - it looked loved. It also had a post it on the front that just said:

_My real favourite_

Nothing else. No apology, no explanation, no details. Elizabeth sighed, boys.

Dean hadn't had a response from Elizabeth for a couple days now and decided he was tired of waiting. To the bar it was. It wasn't late, but being November it was already well dark. The Impala shone under the light of the lamp in the parking lot. It lit Elizabeth quite well too. Well, what of her could be seen. She was stretched out on the hood of the car, back against the windshield, absurdly encased in her dad's pea coat.

"That's private property you know. Not a school yard jungle gym." Dean approached slowly, not like he could approach quickly.

"So call the cops." He wished he could see her face, but it was hiding under her dad's hat. "Oh wait, you're on the run just as much as we are." It was the first time Elizabeth admitted her situation.

"I'm not running." Dean replied, "Gave you a real name didn't I?"

"Please." She snorted. "You're running so fast I should call you Barry Allen."

"What's with you and your dad threatening to eat my heart by the way?"

"Sometimes we're traditionalists."

Dean had no idea what she meant by that, but again it scraped at his brain. Dean hopped up onto the hood with her, stared up at the dark sky. "So am I forgiven?"

Elizabeth thought about it. "Let me see your face."

Dean froze. He slowly pulled the hoodie away. Elizabeth stared. Dean wanted to flinch under her gaze but held back. Finally she just said, "I've seen worse things."

Dean wondered where a girl as sweet as Elizabeth might have seen worse. Horror movie maybe. He asked, "So am I forgiven?"

"Depends on whether you're going to keep being an idiot." There was a bit of a smile on her face now.

"Look I shouldn't have taken my issues with your dad on you." Dean sighed, "It's just..."

Elizabeth tilted her head to Dean, "What, you think he's going to crowd you in dark hallway? You should be careful of dropping the soap in the laundry room."

"Sarcasm. Nice." Dean thought about it, "It doesn't bother you?"

"What, that dad likes guys?" Elizabeth shrugged, though the gesture was mostly hidden by the coat, "He likes girls too. Told me a long time ago, he likes a person, doesn't care so much about the bits. He once loved mom, a lot. But she's dead." Elizabeth went quiet for a moment, "She wasn't so good to him for the last couple years either. So he found someone to flirt with, if he's happy it's cool. Not like I have to call anyone mom or dad anytime soon. But he also doesn't push where he isn't wanted."

Elizabeth stepped down off the car, "You could use more friends. Dad could be a good friend, if you get over your big gay panic." She walked back towards the building. "The book was a way more romantic pick than I thought you would have."

Dean smiled sadly, "Found it at a Salvation Army. I read it to my brother when he couldn't sleep."

"So who are you, Arthur or Merlin?" Elizabeth didn't wait for the answer, just went inside leaving his copy of _The Once and Future King_ beside him.

Bar. Dean desperately needed the bar.

 

*********

It wasn't the full moon yet, but Benny was restless. Restless and frustrated. He was prowling around the apartment enough that Elizabeth pretty much kicked him out. He thought about driving, but knew that wouldn't do the trick. He went to his usual hollow tree and stripped quickly, the cool fall air causing him to wince. The shift caused him to groan in pain. It wasn't an easy shift, but it wasn't the worst. In wolf form he whimpered a bit in pain, but eventually adjusted.

He caught a scent on the air, intriguing, one that made him hungry. He stayed on the edges of the woods, and slowly ambled along, tracing it. Eventually he broke into a run. Chasing it down. He stuck to the line of woods as much as he could, hid in the shadows of buildings when it wasn't an option anymore. Closer, he was getting closer.

Dean walked out of the bar 200 dollars richer and only slightly tipsy. At least when that Wendigo kicked his ass it didn't affect his arms or fingers. He didn't hustle in town so much, more just challenged some players. It had been warm in the bar and he had ended up pulling off the hoodie. The girl he had been flirting with to that point shuddered and walked away. No one else really made eye contact. Well except the bartender but that was about getting paid. Anyone can look you in the eye when money is involved.

Dean headed over to the Impala, even sadder than he was before. It was one of those days that had just been too damn much. Thoughts about Benny, the talk with Elizabeth, memories of Sammy, just too damn much.

"Hey asshole." A yell. "You ugly fucker, turn around when I'm talking to you."

Dean ignored this and went as quickly to the trunk of the Impala grabbing a crowbar. When he did turn it was the three guys he had beat at pool. "Hey guys, what's up?"

"We want our money back."

"Can't do that. I won it fair and square." Dean held the crowbar easily, casually. "But hey, better luck next time."

"You freak, you disgusting animal, how come you even go out with that face? That stupid, ugly mug?" The second guy was slurring his words, he'd be the one to take out first, an easy go.

"Hey mine are scars, what's your excuse?" Dean could see that take a minute to process. He used the advantage to swing at the guy and watch him hit the ground.

The other two rushed Dean. He managed to get a couple good shots in but then one of the guys got smart and took out Dean's bad leg. Dean was crumbled on the ground wheezing in pain. He heard one of them pick up the crowbar. A laugh. Cruel, merciless. Dean waited for the blows to fall, wondering if this is how it would all end.

A howl and a snarl. The sound of small feet pounding against concrete and asphalt. A startled scream. Dean looked up and over and saw a wolf attacking the guy with the crowbar. The other guy kicked at the wolf, hitting a leg, causing a whimper and the wolf to let go.

The third guy was finally getting himself up but took one look at the larger than average wolf and took off running. The wolf snarled again and dove for the leader, teeth grazing throat. They too decided to run, the wolf growling and huffing until they were around the corner.

The animal turned to Dean and padded slowly back over. Dean just stayed as still as possible. The wolf nudged his head up, almost looking like he was checking for injuries.

"I'll be okay." Dean said. He then wondered why he said that at all. He for a moment thought about petting the grey fur but kept his hand down.

The wolf's blue eyes stared at the scars on Dean's face. His nose edged closer to Dean's throat. Dean flinched and closed his eyes. But instead of teeth, there was a lick, a little rough. It lightly brushed against one of the scars. The feet padded away. When Dean opened his eyes the wolf was gone.

Dean wondered why the wolf had eyes so blue, why they looked so familiar. He sat on the cold ground for 20 minutes before the pieces fell together.

Wolf. Eat your heart. Wolf. Eat your heart.

He had to call Bobby.

 

 


	6. What Stops a Bullet

Dean stumbled into his apartment, with a small bag from the bottom of the Impala's trunk. He held his phone between his ear and shoulder, filling guns with both rock salt and regular shells.

"Singer Salvage."

"Bobby what do we know about werewolves?"

"Kill them on sight." was Bobby's reply.

"Okay, but what's the truth about them? I mean are we talking Lon Cheney Jr. or Underworld here?"

"Christ boy, I only understand what one of those means." He could hear Bobby flipping through a few books, "Look a werewolf can only change the three nights of the full moon. They look like a sort of human/wolf hybrid thing. They retain little of their humanity those nights, and hunger for human hearts. It's doubtful in the morning if they'll even remember what they did. Standard silver, and dismemberment work. They can heal, but not that much."

Dean thought about it, "But can they just look like a slightly larger wolf, and change 9 days out from the full moon?"

"You sure you're not talking about a skinwalker? People that shift into a canine form?"

"Nope I know the difference between a dog and a wolf, Bobby."

"Fine. Give me some time, I'll look into it. How you doing otherwise?"

Dean sighed, his whole body ached. "I get by." He swallowed, "You heard from anyone?"

"Not a word. Your dad is just gone, off the map. And not like I would hear from Sam."

"Yeah. Call me when you know something." Dean hung up and stretched out on his bed. Just waited. He eventually drifted off and the phone woke him up, just passed dawn.

"Purebloods" Bobby's voice sounded weary, he must have researched all night long.

"Sorry, what?" Dean sat up stretched. The skin on his face felt tight. 11 months since it all happened and still there were mornings it felt like it happened yesterday.

"It seems there are actually two types of werewolves, ones who are bitten. Those are what we expect, what we're used to. But then there are purebloods They are born. Families connected closely to the alpha werewolf. It seems they are more in control, can shift anytime and into a proper wolf form. Rumour has it they don't lose their humanity as a wolf. Also they don't actually have to eat human hearts to survive. If they do, they can go just as nuts, but they can get by on some raw steaks and the like. Harder to kill, stronger, faster, smarter."

Dean could hear Bobby ease back in his chair, "You come across one of these son?"

Dean's brain quickly went through a lot of answers, "No, just doing some independent research, came across some confusing notes."

"Right." He could tell Bobby didn't quite believe him, but that he also wasn't going to push. "Well they die the same way. Keep in touch ya idjit."

"Sure Bobby." Dean said, but the other man had already hung up. Dean dropped his feet off the bed and put his head in his hands. It was simple right? Monster - kill it. Never mind that it rescued him, never mind that there were no suspicious reports in town of people missing hearts. Never mind Elizabeth's smile and sass. And cookies. If he did what he ought to, there would be no more snickerdoodles.

No. Monsters get ganked. End of story. Dean stood up and went for his gun.

He had to admit as he made his way upstairs that he was not looking forward to this. This wasn't a regular hunt. He knew these people, but still he had to do the job. Dean leaned a little into their front door, but couldn't hear anything inside. He crouched, bad leg protesting the action. He went to pick the lock, but found that the door pushed easily open.

Dean had his gun out, safety off. He stood out of his crouch, the movement taking longer than he would like. Dean walked into the living room and though it was early morning there sat Benny, a whiskey in hand, the bottle on the table with an empty glass waiting.

"Care to have a drink before you kill me? I'm not running." Benny took a slow sip. "Put your foot up, your leg has to be aching after that fight last night."

It was. Dean limped over to the chair the was across from Benny and eased himself down. Benny poured him a drink and took a sip, "Just to prove it's not poisoned." He pushed the glass across the table to Dean.

"Where's Elizabeth?"

"In her room. Point that gun in her direction and you're dead." Benny said calmly.

"You two are monsters." Dean rejoined.

"Funny thing that. She's not."

"Look just because she's your daughter, doesn't mean -" Dean started in.

"No I mean she hasn't manifested any traits at all yet." Benny poured himself some more whiskey. "Her mama was wholly human. We shouldn't have even been able to have a child together, what with my DNA and all that. But we did. And it seems the human side has won out - she doesn't even like her steaks medium." Benny shifted back in his seat, "So brother, if you kill her, you are killing an innocent child. How's that going to sit with you?"

Dean didn't think it would sit well, not when he thought about all the notes sitting in his drawer. But then he realized something, "You were waiting for me."

"Yup."

"That's it?" Dean was confused.

"Dean I've known you were a hunter since we had that beer in your apartment, saw the salt, saw the devil's traps." He paused to look at the scars on his face, "Nothing human caused those. Not bear or cougar either."

"Wendigo."

"Shit, you went after one of those solo? Might have to rethink my approach to you after all." Benny smiled. "If it helps, I haven't personally ever turned anyone, and haven't killed anyone in 18 years." He got up, "Want some cookies?" He grabbed a tin and opened it. Crap it was the snickerdoodles.

"Why aren't you scared of me? I'm a hunter, I've got a gun, I've got you cornered." Dean looked at his leg, "Is it because you think you can take me?"

Benny laughed, "Nah brother, it's because you ain't the scariest thing after me. Not by a long shot. I'm not exactly well liked by my pack." Benny turned and stripped his shirt off, showing the traitor brand burned into his back, flecks of silver imbedded in his skin. Whip marks, raised scars, carved symbols, it was a mess. He pulled the shirt back down. "My blood did this to me. Killed my Andrea, were either going to slaughter, rape, or turn Elizabeth. So, brother, you don't worry me - not compared to those guys." He dropped the tin of cookies on the table and sat down.

"Is your pack after you?" Dean couldn't help but be curious.

"Might be. Or it might be as long as I stay well gone, they'll ignore me. Only reason they came after me before was they were told where we were. They've got bigger fish to fry." Benny thought about it, "We hid our tracks well, took us a good few months to end up here. Paid good money for all our fake i.d."

"You're a monster, there's no getting around it." Dean argued.

"True, but a tame monster if there is such a thing." Benny looked at Dean, "If you think for one second I would do anything that would put my girl in harm's way, you're wrong. Full moon, I run, maybe kill a bunny or two, but I don't go near people. But if you think I'll just lay down my life here and now for you, let you go in there and kill my baby, well then I might rethink my 'don't eat people's hearts policy.'" It was said calmly, matter of fact.

Dean didn't know what to do. Decades of his father's training said - monster, gank it. No ifs, ands, or buts. Only, he just didn't get a monster vibe of Benny. And he had to admit it, Benny didn't have to save Dean, could have let those guys at the bar take him out, all of Benny's problems solved. He heard a noise behind the closed door. Elizabeth. He watched tension enter Benny's hands.

Dean clicked the safety back on his gun.

Benny blew out a breath and Dean realized just how much the older man had been faking his confidence. It was well played. Dean gulped back the whiskey and grabbed two of the cookies. "I'm keeping my eye on you. You step a toe out of line, I kill you."

"Sounds reasonable brother." Benny agreed.

"And we're not pals, not friends. We ignore each other." Dean stuck his chin out.

"That include Elizabeth?"

Dean didn't have an answer to that, just turned and stalked out of the apartment as well as he was able.

The next morning found the return of Benny's steak knife. It was in his door with a note

 

_Thanks for saving my ass at the bar._

_Still don't trust you though._

_Watching you._

 

It was at least better than a bullet to the heart, which is sort of what he had been expecting. At the foot of the door though, was a copy of the collected short stories of Vonnegut for Elizabeth. It was something.

The week passed quietly. Benny had finally told Elizabeth the truth about Dean and what hunters were. She took it fairly well, just asking for more self defense training. Benny wished that she didn't need to know it, but slowly was working her up to knife work.

It was the first night of the moon. Benny was reluctant to go out for a run, a little scared of Dean to be honest. But Elizabeth convinced him to go out even for a short time, it always made him more centered, more able to cope with the everyday if he ran.

Benny went and had to admit she was right, the November air was crisp, the sky clear, the moon beautiful, calling to him. He ran, oh how he ran. He didn't look for food, just jumped over fallen trees, scuttled through the leaves, back and forth and around. Hours flew by before he went back to where his clothes were hidden.

There though, was that scent again. The scent that he knew now was Dean. He slowed, moved cautiously down the path. There sitting on the ground by where his clothes were hidden was the hunter. With a shotgun. Benny froze, not sure what to do.

"Followed you. Been waiting awhile. Good thing I brought a thermos." Dean waggled the case, Benny could smell the Irish coffee. "Just wanted to see if you were serious about the not killing thing."

Benny whimpered, it sounded oddly offended.

"What, I'm supposed to take a monster's word?" Dean glared at the wolf, trying not to think how beautiful the creature was. In wolf form the fur hid all of Benny's marks, so he looked unblemished, elegant in his wildness.

A yip of indignation.

"Yes okay, fine, it doesn't look like you killed anyone." Dean paused, "Wait, can you understand me?"

Another yip and Benny moved a little closer.

"Pureblood, right? Means you still have most of your human faculties right now, it's what can keep you from eating hearts, what lets you look like a wolf."

Benny ducked his head down in a sketch of a yes and got closer still. He stopped and sat just a couple paces away from Dean.

"What big eyes you have." Dean couldn't help but say. Benny chuffed a sound that was close to a laugh. Dean did what he had wanted to before. He slowly reached out a hand, waiting for it to be torn off. Instead he connected with soft fur, a few small twigs and leaves stuck in the pelt and Dean pulled them out.

Warm, soft, nice. Dean pulled his hand back, shook those thoughts out of his head. Benny tried head butting the hand, wanting more of the contact, but Dean pulled back even more.

"Right well I guess you want to change and get dressed. I'll leave you to it." Dean balanced his back against the tree to help himself scooch up. He groaned, he really shouldn't sit on the cold ground that long. He started to walk to the road to head to their building. He heard the pad of feet following him.

Dean stopped and looked down at the wolf. At Benny. At Benny's blue eyes. "I'm fine, I'll make it back okay." The wolf just leaned against his bad leg, letting his body warmth soak into the denim. Dean had to admit the heat and pressure felt really good against his knee. Minutes passed.

"Better now." Dean said quietly. The wolf stepped back. "Thanks," was whispered. Dean limped on home and Benny went back to his clothes.

When he got back to the building Benny knocked on Dean's door.

Waited.

Listened to Dean's breath on the other side of the door. Knew his hand was on the handle.

The fingers never turned. Benny walked away.

 


	7. Elizabeth or Sass Trumps Stoicism

Dean decided to pretend that that moment of closeness never happened. He was getting good at avoiding Benny. It was harder to avoid Elizabeth. Especially when she slipped an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner under his door. On that nice paper, only this time it smelled like pumpkin. It offered beer, and turkey sandwiches, and pie.

He had finally convinced himself to turn down the invitation three days before thanksgiving. He wrote a nice apology note on paper not stolen from the bank and went upstairs to slip it under their door. While Benny should be at work and Elizabeth at school. Only just as he bent down the door swung open and there was Elizabeth swathed in one of her dad's flannel shirts, sleeves rolled at least three times and still covering her fingers.

She was pale, but slipping on shoes. Dean wondered where Benny was, and if he was going to have to drive the girl to the ER.

"Drug store around the corner." was all she said. Dean wasn't quick to follow her. "Let's go. I need you to take me, I'm under age, they won't sell me pain relievers - I need an adult. Dad's at work, you're my only option." Elizabeth headed out of the building towards the Impala. Waited for Dean to unlock the car.

Dean wondered at how he had gotten so involved in these peoples lives. Wondered at how he thought of them as people and not monsters. They got in the car and drove the few blocks. "Stomach flu, migraine?" He asked as they headed into the shop. He wasn't really paying attention until Elizabeth stopped dead centre in the aisle.

"Crap, why are there so many choices?" Elizabeth muttered staring at all the various packages.

"Ack!" was the sound that came out of Dean's mouth as he realized they were in the feminine hygiene aisle. "I'll just go get some pain meds for you."

He tried to slink by Elizabeth, but she just grabbed his coat and held tight. "You aren't going anywhere. Help."

"How can I help, boy plumbing here." Dean was turning a little red.

"You're an adult, you've been around girls, what do they get?" Elizabeth was sounding a little panicked.

"I was raised on the road by my father and with my little brother."

"Girlfriends then."

Dean tried not to look at the overly bright packaging. "Didn't exactly go through their bathroom shelves or purses and never dated anyone long enough for it to be an issue."

"What, you've never dated someone longer than 24-32 days?" Elizabeth was surprised.

"Stay on target." Dean replied.

"T.v. then, what do commercials say we should do?"

Dean glared at the girl, "There is no 'we' in this situation. There is you. Didn't your mom talk about all this stuff with you?"

"I know how it all works, I just don't know what to get." Elizabeth's voice climbed a little. She sounded distressed and Dean finally clued in.

"This is your first one isn't it?" He asked quietly.

She just nodded and burrowed more into her dad's shirt. Dean took a breath.

"Okay, probably don't want to be sticking anything inside anywhere your first time right? That just seems logical." He scanned the shelves and moved them down a few paces. "So we want pads." Dean wondered why all of a sudden it was we.

They both just stared at the wall. "Why are they called wings? Why not tabs, or edging, or sides, or panels?" Elizabeth asked.

"I don't know - didn't exactly take a lot of marketing classes before I dropped out of high school." Dean swore a little. "How about we go middle of the road on everything?" He grabbed a package, "Here medium length, good for medium...flow. Ugh, that word is now ruined for me." Dean shuddered.

Elizabeth looked at the box, "why are those ones two dollars more than those?" She pointed to the shelf.

Dean held the two up for comparison, "I think because the wrappers are prettier on these ones?"

"Why would I care about multi-coloured wrappers on items that exist solely for me to shed my special uterus lining blood onto?" They watched as a woman huffed and left the aisle.

"Never use those words again." Dean complained before grabbing the cheaper, plain coloured option and tossing it at Elizabeth.

She tossed it right back, "You'll have to buy them when you buy the pain relievers."

"I'm not buying girl stuff."

"Oh grow a pair will you?" Elizabeth started to walk away.

Dean grabbed a box of extra strength meds and went to the check out as Elizabeth flipped through a magazine. The clerk smirked at Dean. Dean just lowered his hoodie and watched the teen boys face pale at the scars. He and Elizabeth went back to the Impala.

He grabbed the wheel tightly, "What did I ever do to deserve this hell?"

"Plan to kill me." She said cheerfully.

Dean turned and glared, "Were you playing me in there?"

"Only a little." She batted her eyes at him, "It really is my first period." Dean winced at her words, "Oh stop being a baby. I really didn't have anything in the house. But making you suffer was an added bonus."

Dean started to drive. He only swerved a little when Elizabeth said, "You know there are movies where girls only turn into werewolves after their first menses. Maybe I'll finally trigger."

"I hate you."

"Want to tell me about where babies come from?"

"I really hate you."

They got out of the car. "Dad works the Thursday so we're doing the food on the Friday. You'll be there right?"

"Maybe." Dean started to pull away from Elizabeth but noticed she had a arm wrapped low on her belly. He sighed. "Do you have a hot water bottle?" She shook her head no. "Bag of rice?" At this she nodded, "Put it dry into a shallow tupperware nuke it for 3 minutes put a towel over your skin and put the container on top. The heat will help."

Elizabeth went up onto her toes, and kissed his cheek, "Thank you for not killing us." She went into the building.

So much for trying to separate myself from them, Dean thought.

That night there was a knock on Dean's door. He opened it to find Benny standing there with a six pack. "A thanks for helping my girl out. Know it must have been awkward for you."

Dean quickly grabbed the beer. "Yes. I hope you have to suffer at some point just as much." He slammed the door shut on Benny's laughter.

"See you for Thanksgiving brother." Benny called out.

Dean didn't reply. At least it was quality beer. He realized 20 minutes later it was the beer they had had together at that bar on Halloween.

 

*******

Dean could smell the pumpkin the moment he hit the second floor landing. He clutched the bottle of whiskey and the bundle of cheap flowers close. He hoped that they were the right things to bring, his experiences with Thanksgiving, mostly involved a Biggerson's if they were actually celebrating. He knocked on the door and walked in when Elizabeth shouted it was open.

He could hear the shower running.

"Sorry, Dad got called in for a couple hours this morning, some pipes burst at the hospital and he had to help with clean up." Elizabeth was setting the small kitchen table, gravy bubbling on the stove top.

"I thought you said it was just turkey sandwiches." Dean looked at the spread.

"Well sure. Doesn't mean they can't be nice sandwiches." There was a turkey breast, carved into thick slices, stuffing and cranberry sauce. A wheel of sourdough waiting to be sliced. Gravy to dip the whole thing into. The counter was a work of art. He heard the water turn off.

"You need me to do anything?" Dean asked.

"Put some music on on the laptop, you can pick a playlist." Dean took the few steps over to the living room and the desk. He picked the list called highway blues. A guitar riff wailed. He looked over as the door opened.

"Elizabeth -" Benny called walking out of the bathroom. He was dressed - sort of. He had a white shirt that was clearly going to be tucked into his pants. Pants that currently were undone and riding a little low. Pants that showed a bit of furry happy trail that kept drawing Dean's eyes.

Benny saw where Dean's eyes kept drifting and quickly tucked in the shirt and zipped up the pants. He pulled the suspenders over top the shirt. Dean couldn't help but notice how the suspenders highlighted the width of the other man's shoulders, the broadness of his chest.

"Hey brother," Benny said easily. "Glad you could make it."

"Sure." Dean pitched his voice low, but still loud enough to carry to the kitchen, "Your girl is scary, didn't want to turn her down."

"Heard that. See how big a slice of pie I cut you later."

"You don't even come up to my shoulder - I can take you." Dean yelled back.

"I will defend the pie to my dying breath."

"You will fail."

"I'm not wiping up the blood, I get that enough at work." was all Benny would say about the pie war that was about to be waged. He started cutting the bread for the sandwiches leaving a grown ass man to mock glare at a pre-teen. Benny didn't even need to look over to know that his girl won that battle.

An hour later all three left the kitchen table groaning. They collapsed onto the living room furniture, content, stuffed, and very mellow, Elizabeth on the chair, Dean and Benny on the small couch. Dean tried to remember a feeling like this before but he couldn't. Even when they had tried, it was still a cheap motel, Dad often gone on a hunt, Sam sad, and Dean frustrated. Only a handful of times had anything approached this feeling of contentment before. His brain decided to ruin it a little by reminding him what he father would think finding out Dean was hanging out with a pureblood werewolf. And the daughter of a werewolf, who may or may not be one. Which did raise a question.

Dean's mouth and brain decided to not work together. "Why would your pack want to kill Elizabeth?" Dean winced at what a horrible thing it was to say. "Crap. Sorry."

Benny just shrugged. "Pureblood pack Dean, no mutts allowed."

"But you said they might have bit her - turned her." Dean looked at the girl - the child, how tense she was.

"Bite you create a new monster, something you can let off its leash. Bear young who aren't pure - that's a sin of the highest order. It's why I ran, when we found out Andrea was pregnant."

"I'm going to take my pie to my room." Elizabeth went to the kitchen grabbed a plate and left the men alone.

"Shit, Benny. I'm an idiot." Dean scrubbed a hand over his face.

"Yup you are brother, but figured you'd have more questions at some point. Your timing could just use some work." Benny got up and poured them both some of the whiskey Dean had brought, dropped the rest of the pie on the table with a couple of forks, dropped heavily back onto the couch. "When we were brought in, she watched them brand me, stood there while her mama's throat was slit. She and I barely got away. She's terrified of turning."

Dean said something he never would have thought he would say, "Even if she does, no way is she a monster."

Benny couldn't help himself he leaned over, grabbed Dean's face and gave him a slightly over dramatic kiss on the lips. He meant it to be a thank you, an appreciation for a statement like that coming from a hunter. But he couldn't help but linger just a bit, that close to the scent of Dean, and those soft full lips, the broken line of scar, he pressed in just a little more.

Dean for his part had no idea what to do. He hadn't ever kissed another guy before. His brain was trying to pull it apart. Beard against skin. Lips not smaller. Hands encasing the whole of Dean's face. It was Benny's fingers brushing against the raised scars on his cheek that finally brought him around. He pushed Benny away, not registering how quickly Benny let go, how he sat back, away from Dean.

Dean wiped his mouth, tried to erase the feel, the taste of the kiss. Too many emotions were swirling about his head, so he went for what was easiest to grab - anger. "I'm not a fag."

Benny held up his hands for peace, "I didn't say you were gay. It wasn't meant to be anything. It was just a silly gesture."

"Yeah well, you can fuck off with your gestures." Dean stalked to the door. "That's not me. Just stay the fuck away from me." He slammed the door behind him.

Benny slammed back a shot, and swore, pissed at how quickly that had gone wrong.

 

********

The next night found Dean at a bar. Not the same as last time, one of a slightly higher quality. He hoped to find someone feeling a little lonely on the long weekend, maybe a few drinks in, willing to have a good time - no matter how ugly Dean now was (Dean tried not to think about how the Lafittes seemed not to care about his scars or limp).

Dean kept the hood up while he chatted up a decent looking brunette who had separated from her friends. Eventually they were both enough drinks in that he lowered his cover. She flinched but didn't run. It was good enough. Dean drove them back to his place and they had tipsy sex. It was okay. He couldn't totally focus on her, mind drifting away, but he doubted she was thinking of him either. They passed out shortly after.

In the morning, the bed was empty, but he could hear someone shuffling around the ring of the phone. Her voices wasn't quite muffled.

"No, he wasn't a serial killer. I'm fine, just trying to make my exit." She hissed into the phone. A pause. "Yeah I know the scars were gross, but I felt bad for him. No way would anyone really want that guy. Think of this way - some pity sex is my charitable act for the year." Some fumbling towards the door. "Shit. My bracelet must be in the bedroom. I got to go, he should still be asleep." Dean got up and threw on boxers and picked the bracelet up of the floor.

He limped to the door and opened it. The woman stared at him, all the scars, the damaged leg highlighted by the morning sun seeping in the windows. He watched her swallow and flush, realizing he must have heard her on the phone. Dean just tossed her the bracelet and headed to the bathroom to shower the night off.

Dean spent the next week hiding in his apartment only leaving to get more booze and shovel the sidewalk when an inch of snow fell. He salted the parking lot in the dead of night just to avoid people. Come Friday night he decided to get blitzed. As he made his way through a 12 pack of beer his thoughts grew gloomier and more bitter. He was so tired of being alone - abandoned. By beer 8 he was mad at his dad. Tried to call him, got the same message as ever - if you need something call Dean. Apparently John didn't even know that number was disconnected months ago. Dean wondered how many people had died because they couldn't get an answer.

By beer 10 he decided it was all Sammy's fault. If Sammy hadn't said no at Stanford, Dean wouldn't have gone off on his own. Wouldn't have been alone for the Wendigo hunt. The lady in white case before had gone well on his own, he thought he could handle it. The rangers that found him said it must have been a cougar. They called John and Sam - neither answered. Eventually when Dean woke up after 3 days he had them call Bobby. It was Bobby who took him in while he was broken, useless.

He called Sammy. A girl answered. Dean hung up without saying anything.

Beer 11 had him really woozy and blaming Benny. It was all Benny's fault. Making him think things, things he shouldn't think. Bad werewolf making him almost happy, accepting him. That wasn't how this sort of thing was supposed to be. Bad monster is supposed to be bad, not nice and cuddly looking. Dean got up and swayed, booze sloshing in his system. He made it to the sink before he threw up. He dunked his head under the tap, cold water feeling good. Stomach was empty, brain only a tiny bit clearer.

Still, all he could think was how he felt right now was Benny's fault. The guy shouldn't have kissed him. Shouldn't have been a monster. Shouldn't have been so casual about showing a hunter his wolf form. Dean should be who he was supposed to be. His mind kept circling, whirling.

He grabbed his gun and keeping a hand on the wall to steady himself made his way upstairs. To the monster. To do what he should have done before.

 


	8. Nothing So Cruel as a Winchester

Benny could smell Dean the moment he hit the second floor. There was the scent of Dean, and also a vast amount of booze. He went over to the door. Waited as the smell drew closer. Dean banged on the door and Benny opened it.

The younger man was swaying under the pressure of the alcohol. Benny really hoped that the safety was on the weapon.

Dean had enough wherewithal to ask, "Where's Elizabeth?"

Benny swallowed, "At a sleepover, not due back until tomorrow afternoon."

Dean nodded his head, it kept bobbing after he probably wanted it to stop, "Good. That's good. Like her, nice girl." Dean stumbled into the apartment, Benny locked the door behind him, "She doesn't think I'm stupid."

Benny leaned against his door, "Who thinks you're stupid Dean?"

"Dad, Sam. I don't know. I'm the good soldier. I do the job. Why aren't I doing my job?" Dean asked.

"Is it still your job, after everything?"

Dean glared, "You don't stop being a hunter until you're dead." Dean thought about it, "Should I be dead?"

Benny winced, "How much have you had to drink?"

Dean just shrugged, "Told me if the rangers had been even 5 minutes later, I would have bled out." Dean caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, "Dead might have been better than this."

"I don't think that."

"The girl the other night did. Called it a pity fuck."

"Ah," was all Benny could respond with.

"It's all your fault." Dean yelled.

"How is you pulling some bar tail my fault?" This one confused Benny.

"Made me think things. Things I'm not supposed to think about. Things I don't want, can't want." Dean sniffled a little, "Stop making me think about things." Dean paced, "You're a monster, why don't you look like a monster? With your pretty eyes, stupid soft beard, shoulders...why do you have sexy shoulders? Why do I think shoulders are sexy? I like boobs."

Benny smiled a little, "Boobs are great."

"But you like me. I don't have boobs." Dean looked down as if to confirm that fact.

"Man can like all sorts of things Dean. You don't have to be just one thing." Benny cautiously stepped a little closer, but Dean went back to waving the gun around.

"Even if that's true, you're still a monster."

"Which bothers you more, that you might like a guy, or that you might like a monster?"

Dean ignored the question, he didn't have an answer anyways. "You could kill people. You said you had killed, that should be enough to take you out right? Why did you kill?"

"Right of passage for my pack. You are supposed to turn someone when you are 16. I couldn't do that to a person, they were crying so much, chained up under the moon. So I pretended to be lost to the frenzy and bit too hard, severed arteries. They were dead in minutes. The old man counted it as amusing." Benny smiled sadly, "so yeah brother, I'm a murderer, a monster. Question is, am I enough of one for you to take out?"

Dean seemed to be thinking about it, tapping his gun against his leg in an unsteady rhythm.

Finally he said, "Shift."

"I'm sorry?" Benny asked.

"Shift. Can't think with you like that looking like you should be hugging me, with those shoulders. Let me see the monster again."

"Dean, I can't."

Dean pointed the gun at Benny, "You're a pureblood, you can shift whenever you want. Don't need the moon. So make the goddamn shift."

Benny held up his hands, placating. "I have silver in my back Dean. Shifting hurts even at the height of the full moon, now so far from it, the pain is -"

"But you can shift."

"I can. But I won't."

Dean moved surprisingly fast, whipped Benny across the face with the barrel of the gun. It sliced his lip open, in almost a mirror of Dean's scar. He followed it up with a punch to the gut. Benny bent over, gasping for air.

"Shift or I punch you full of lead."

Benny laughed, "Would have to be quite a bit to take me down. The silver in me means I don't heal as well or as fast, but I still fucking heal." He lurched forward toppling Dean over, landing on him hard. "Going to have to do better than that hunter."

Dean smiled, "Shift or I find Elizabeth. From the sounds of it, one bullet should do it there."

At that the animal snapped free. Dean wasn't prepared though for what happened. When he had seen Benny shift at the full moon, when he had tailed him to the woods, it had been almost seamless, a blink and you'll miss it moment. This though, was something else.

Benny cried out, hoarsely, in too much pain to actually shout. Dean could hear his bones moving, resetting into something new. He watched the structure of Benny's face elongate and then shrink as the rest of him became covered in fur. If he wasn't from such an old pure bloodline the silver in his scars would be enough to halt him at a half shift, looking more like the werewolves in old movies. But he still made it to wolf form. But instead of a blink it was agonizing minutes. Whimpers, whines coming from the man and then the creature.

The wolf sat on Dean's legs, whimpering, crying in agony. It tried to curl into a ball, but that seemed like too much effort. It just dropped in between Dean's legs, shivering, making the saddest noises ever. The fur wasn't as thick as at the full moon, and Dean could see the scars, the brands. Raised, almost pulsing.

He reached out a shaking hand, only to pull it back when the wolf tried to snarl. The growl was cut short as it changed into another pained whine. Dean sat himself up, eased back from the wolf. Benny's eyes stared at him from above the muzzle, in so much pain. And betrayal.

Dean crawled to the bathroom and threw up again. He could still hear the pained yips coming from the living room. He pulled himself up and looked at himself. Red eyes, quivering lips, shaking hands. For once Dean didn't even notice the scars. He went to what had to be Benny's bedroom and pulled the comforter off the bed. Dean slowly returned to the living room and eased himself to the ground in front of Benny. He picked up the fallen gun and put it on the side table. He held open the blanket. The wolf tried to move forward, but its limbs were still too sore, too stiff to move easily even just a few inches.

"Can I come closer?" Dean asked in a whisper. The was a sort of head nod and a huff. Dean hoped he wasn't about to get eaten. He inched closer and slowly wrapped the blanket around the wolf. Benny burrowed into the blanket, into the extra warmth until just his nose could be seen, and the shadow of his eyes.

Dean just sat on the ground saying nothing. Eventually, the wolf stopped shivering, quaking. Dean's bad leg was completely numb at this point, and his mouth just felt gross. Sobriety was slowly making it's way in, but wasn't anywhere close to a reality.

"Can you shift back?" A sort of weird noise came out of the blankets, a nod and a shake. "You could, but later would be better?" Dean guessed, he seemed right. He though about it, "Do you want to stay here, or be in your bed?"

The wolf's head peaked out from the blanket and looked at the bedroom door.

"Okay, I'm going to piss, drink some water, and then we'll get you in there. Unless you think you can walk on your own?" The head went back into the blanket.

Dean stood, cried out at the pain in his leg. Limped to the bathroom and pawed through the cabinet, happy to take 3 Tylenol. He opened the door to the bedroom and went back to Benny. Looked down at the wolf.

"I can't carry you all the way, my leg won't take it. Sorry for the indignity." With that Dean pulled and dragged the comforter, which pulled Benny along with it. Once at the bed, Dean eased the wolf out and between the two of them managed to get him up on the bed. Where he took most of the space. Dean started to leave, but Benny whimpered that broken sound again. It cut straight into Dean's heart.

"Okay." Dean eased himself up onto the bed, thew the comforter over himself and the wolf, lay on his side facing Benny. He couldn't help himself, "what big ears you have."

A huff, a puff of breath air hit Dean's face. "Thought blowing me down was a different story." This time when he reached a hand out, Benny didn't flinch. Dean scratched behind his ears, petted neck and shoulder, before just rest his hand on the wolf's scruff.

It was in an incredibly small voice that Dean said, "I wouldn't have hurt Elizabeth, not really. I doubt you'll forgive me for saying that, but I didn't mean it." A small tear slipped out. He could feel the wolf move closer, close enough that they were sharing body heat.

Dean's eyes were closed, so it was a surprise when that rough tongue licked at the line of scar from just above his shirt collar, to his ear. It was warm and a little ticklish. And soothing.

"I don't want to kill you either." He finally admitted. "I was raised to be a hunter since I was four. That's when a demon killed my mom. Dad just threw us into the car and we've been chasing that damn demon ever since. Sam got out, went to school, left us behind, didn't even call. A bit over a year ago Dad went missing. I tried to get Sam to help, but he said no. I followed Dad's trail and that's what lead me to the Wendigo. An old hunter family friend helped me, Dad never even checked on me in the hospital. I was supposed to be his back up, his solider, his bullet. Guess once I couldn't be that anymore, I wasn't needed."

Another lick. "Got it all muddled up, like killing you would somehow fix the last year. Fix my leg. Fix my face. Fix my family. Hah." Dean snorted, "Can't fix something this broken." No lick this time, just the wolf trying to cuddle in closer.

Dean was silent for awhile. For a minute, for an hour.

Finally he said, "You asked if I was more freaked out by liking a guy, or a monster. I don't know. Dad never really said anything homophobic, but I just knew that sort of thing wasn't allowed. He's a Marine, likes things to follow a specific path, a straight line." Dean laughed a little at the pun. "Once when I was fifteen, he caught me having pie with this guy. He didn't say anything, just gave me this look. Left. Didn't come back for three days. Never let him see me look at a guy again after that."

"But, I've also been killing the things in the dark since I was 9. Finding one a little sexy is bound to mess a guy up."

The wolf's head perked up a bit.

"Oh come on, you know you're attractive. I believe I did some solid drunken rambling about shoulders." Dean was quiet again. "I don't know though if I can do anything about it."

Dean spent the next few hours occasionally drifting off, occasionally talking to the wolf about things he would never say to anyone human. He didn't know how much was actually making it through to Benny. He knew he kept most of his human thoughts during the full moon, but now, who knew.

So he talked, just letting whatever came into his head come out of his mouth.

"Sam was so good at prank wars, glued my ass to a toilet once."

"Dad gave me my first hunting knife when I was 7."

"Rhonda Hurley. Dad thought the pink panties he found in my duffel were a leftover trophy. Didn't dare mention they had been mine."

"I miss my mom."

"There's no better shade of blue than your eyes."

The sky was just growing a bit lighter, a bit less grey when Dean drifted off. He woke up to a naked fully human Benny beside him.

He didn't run.

 

*********

 

Benny woke up a few hours later, feeling like crap. His bones hurt, his skin felt too stretched out. He was hungry but the thought of eating made him feel nauseous. He glanced at the clock, happy he still had a couple hours before he had to pick up Elizabeth. Though even with that time, he didn't know how he'd get his legs moving.

He twitched a little and managed to kick the body next to him. Dean. Dean was still there. And currently trying to hide under the covers. Benny had no problems with a little revenge.

"HOW MUCH DOES YOUR HEAD HURT RIGHT NOW?" He yelled near Dean's ear. There was a muffled groan. "OH I'M SORRY. DID I MAKE IT WORSE?"

Dean's head poked out from the blanket, there was an attempt at a glare from the one eye that sort of almost opened.

"Do you know how much pain I'm in right now?" Dean grumped.

"You know, brother, I might have some idea." Benny replied.

Dean winced, and not just from the hangover. The other eye opened a little. "I'm sorry."

"I figured that out sometime around hour 3 of your confessions last night."

Dean paled, "You remember all those?"

Benny smirked, "Not all of them, but enough. You're a mighty talkative drunk." Benny's face took a serious turn. "This has to be done Dean. This was your last chance. You can't come back in here with a weapon again."

Dean opened his mouth. Closed it, terrified to say what he was thinking.

Luckily Benny understood. "Unless I start eating human hearts. Then you can kill me. But no more second guessing, no more confusion. You decided to let me be, you have to stick with that now. Or we're gone."

Dean nodded. "I know."

"And Dean, you ever even hint at hurting Elizabeth again..." There was no need for Benny to finish that sentence. Dean understood. And agreed.

Benny made to get out of bed and flopped back, still so stiff.

Dean started to reach out, but pulled his hand back. "I can get you coffee, maybe some pain meds?"

Benny nodded and Dean eased out of bed. "I'll get the coffee going, have a shower and then be back."

Benny just sorted drifted, tried to place what he was thinking, feeling. It was just too much of a jumble.

Dean came back, a cup of coffee in hand, wearing Benny's robe. It almost fit well, Dean was a little taller, but much less broad. He handed over the coffee and the pills and helped Benny budge himself up so he was leaning against the headboard.

"The silver they put in you really fucks you up, huh?" Dean asked. He meant to make eye contact, but was a little distracted by the exposed chest he was seeing. He wasn't used to chest hair. Wasn't used to liking chest hair.

"Yeah. It's actually supposed to affect me more, but they had always misjudged my strength." Benny shrugged. Dean watched those shoulders move up and down. "In theory it was supposed to stop me from ever shifting, that it would always hurt like it did last night. A pureblood that can't shift goes mad. Instead it just limited me, I don't heal as quickly, can shift less. But I'm not going to go crazy."

"How big was the pack?"

"When I left the first time? About a dozen-fifteen purebloods, and then another dozen in bitten. Probably more now. Why?"

"Do you ever think about wiping them out?" Dean asked, staring at the coffee cup in his hands.

Benny snorted, "Sure, it's a nice pipe dream brother. But I ain't exactly got the strength or capability. You'd need an army to take them down."

"Not necessarily. A few hunters. Take their time, whittle down the numbers. Don't do it all at once. Might even take a couple years, but it could happen. Strategic strikes. A pureblood here, a few of the turned ones there." Dean looked at Benny's eyes. "I could make a phone call."

"They're really dangerous Dean." Benny said seriously. "You'd need brass balls, a lot of machetes and guns, a whole hell of a lot of silver, and more luck than I know you've got."

"Yeah, but there are a good number of crazy mother fuckers out there, who would love the chance to take out something like that."

"It's a compound not too far out of New Orleans. They use that city as a hunting ground. People go missing there all the time after all. I can draw a map of the place, highlight some weaknesses, though my info will be out of date."

"It will help."

"Why would you do this?" Benny asked.

"Because you and Elizabeth deserve to be free." Dean stared somewhere over Benny's shoulder, "And it's a way I can make last night up to you."

Benny sighed, reached out and cupped Dean's face, his hand over the scars. It was then that Dean realized he hadn't hidden his face, that when he was with Benny he never really hid his face. This time he didn't flinch away from the touch, but rather leaned in just a little.

"My, what big hands you have."

Benny laughed, pressed the hand in a little. "You don't have to make it up to me."

"Yeah. I do." Dean took a chance. He touched his hand to Benny's. "I want to."

"Okay." Benny dropped his hand. Dean didn't chase the warmth. Wanted to, but didn't.

They sipped at their coffee and just sat on the bed. Stared at each other, said nothing. Eventually their mugs were drained dry.

"When do you have to get Elizabeth?" Dean asked.

"'Bout an hour." Benny winced at the thought of driving.

"Want me to go get her?" Dean could tell that Benny was still in a lot of pain. "We could pick up some food, let you have an easy day."

"Sure brother, sounds good." Benny's grin was crooked. Dean took a chance and laid a quick kiss on those lips before hopping out of the bed.

"Cool, well I'll go down to my place, get dressed, head out, do stuff, you know...stuff." Dean said awkwardly. He tried to bolt out of the room.

"Dean. I need to give you the address." Benny called after him.

"Oh. Right. Yeah. Address. Probably helpful." Benny rummaged in the side table and found some paper writing the address down and a note giving Dean permission to pick his daughter up (just in case there were any problems).

Dean grabbed the paper and headed back down to his apartment. He threw on fresh clothes, cooked himself a quick bacon sandwich. He had to leave in twenty minutes but decided to make a phone call first.

"Hey Bobby." Dean said into the phone.

"What's up?" Bobby knew Dean's serious voice.

"If I knew where you could find a pureblood werewolf pack, could get you rough maps of their compound, perhaps with some weaknesses that might be out of date, would you know some hunters who might be interested? It's at least a dozen purebloods and another dozen that they've bitten, though those numbers might have changed."

"Shit boy, how'd you get intel like that?" Bobby was shocked.

"Can we just go with I know a guy and leave it at that?" Dean was hopeful.

"This have anything to do with those questions you were asking before?"

"Look you want the info or not?" Dean skipped over Bobby's questions.

"Yeah I want it." No way was Bobby going to let that go.

"Cool, I'll put it in the mail in the next couple days. Now got to go pick up my girl." Dean didn't even realize what he was saying.

Bobby stalled a little, "Dean you seeing someone?" Dean never talked about relationships.

"What? No, picking up Elizabeth from a sleepover." Dean was speaking like Bobby was supposed to know what he was on about. "Bye Bobby."

"Wait-" But he was cut off. Bobby wondered what the hell was going on.

 

*********

 

Dean drove up to the nice house with an SUV in the driveway. It even had a picket fence. He pulled up his hoodie. He knocked on the door, not surprised when the woman who answered automatically closed it a bit and barred the way with her body.

"Good afternoon ma'am." Dean tried for charming, but it didn't work how it used to what with him hiding most of his face. "I'm here to pick up E-" Shit, fake name, fake name, "er Clara. Her father Eli isn't feeling too well and couldn't make the drive."

Dean gave the mom points for bravery as she shut the door a little more and said, "I'm sorry there is no Clara here, you must have the wrong address."

He could hear Elizabeth in the background, "Hey is it dad? See if he'll let me stay a couple more hours."

Dean raised his voice, "Sorry, time to go kid, your dad feels like crap. We're picking up take out."

Elizabeth peeked around her friend's mom, "Oh hey Dean, that's cool then."

The mom relaxed a little, "You know him?"

Elizabeth was struggling into her over sized boots, "Sure that's Dean. If he'd get his head out of his butt he'd be my dad's boyfriend. He just looks all scary, because his face is super ugly and he wears the hood so none of us turn to stone as the sight of the hideousness."

Dean's jaw dropped and he choked on his spit as the mother gasped and admonished Elizabeth for her rudeness. No one had actually teased Dean about his scars. Bobby sort of looked around them, people either flinched or refused to look. But this, this was new. He wondered if he was upset, and then realized nope, it was actually funny.

He eased the hood back and down, "Come on, you know I'm hot." He grinned his old charming grin. Looking over the woman flinched at the scars, but then saw the smile and couldn't help but smile back a bit.

Elizabeth was about to barrel out but a look from Dean reminded her of her manners and she thanked the mom for letting them all sleep over. Then she ran to the Impala. Dean nodded to the woman and limped slowly after the girl.

They were headed to pick up some pizza when Elizabeth asked what was wrong with her dad.

"Um, last night was bad. Let's go with bad."

"The flu is going around the hospital."

Dean thought about taking the out, but decided not to lie. "I may have been drunk and threatened your dad with a gun. And made him shift." He tried to say the last bit quietly, but Elizabeth heard him.

"OW OW OW OW OW!" Dean yelled. "Your little fists are pointy."

"You made him turn at his weakest. I'll kick your ass!" Elizabeth screamed as she kept pummeling him. Dean checked his mirrors and pulled over to the side of the road. When he turned to Elizabeth he got a fist right to the mouth.

"Hey!" Dean yelled grabbing her wrists. "Jesus remember to lock your wrists if you're punching and remember that an open palm thrust up is better for someone of your size, more likely to break the nose."

Elizabeth calmed at the fighting advice. It was like Dean to focus on that more than the fact she was trying to hurt him. Still, she was quivering in anger. "Why would you do that to him? I thought you liked us." She sniffled and swore. No way was she going to cry.

"I do. I like you both a lot." Dean slowly let go of her and watched her curl up into a ball as much as she could.

"No you don't. Can't. Not with the way you keep hurting us." Another sniffle.

Dean wasn't going to lie, that was more painful than any other punch.

"I know. I'm an jerk." He tilted his head back against the rest.

"A mean, ugly jerk." She added.

"Meanest, ugliest. Ever. In the history of mankind." Dean rolled his head to look at her. "I helped your dad through the pain. We talked it out. I swear I won't go all hunter on you two again."

"I don't trust you."

"Fair enough. I'll earn that back. I...might be a bit more around, so that will give me time to butter you up."

"Why would you be around more?" Elizabeth asked.

"Ummm, well. You see. It's just." Dean stumbled along.

Elizabeth grinned. "oooooh wait. You don't just like Dad. You  _like_ Dad." She gave an evil laugh. "Dad and Dean sitting in a tree KISSI- oh gross."

Dean tensed his hands on his wheel, "Gross?"

"Well, you picture your dad kissing."

"Oh. Fair point." Dean had to agree, that was something he didn't want to think about. He pulled into the plaza and they picked up pizza, some chocolate and a couple other supplies before heading home.

"I'm setting some ground rules." Elizabeth decided.

"Of course you are, because you are a 40 year old masquerading as a child." Dean grumbled, "What no dates on school nights?"

"You be nice to Dad. No stepping out."

"What is this 1962? Who even says that? Besides I don't cheat, haven't since I was an idiot 17 year old. Besides, why would anyone cheat on your dad?" Dean pulled into their lot.

"You'd have to ask my mom that." Elizabeth replied.

"Crap." Dean swore. "K. Next rule."

"You two want to get up to stuff, do it down at your place. My home is an oogy free zone. I don't want to walk in on anything...sticky."

"Ew." Dean shuddered, "Why don't you ever stop talking?"

Elizabeth opened the lobby door, "I'm powered by your suffering."

"I actually believe that." Dean agreed, nodding solemnly.

They got closer to the door, and Elizabeth said, "Just don't break his heart." In this moment she looked the 12 that she was.

Dean kissed her head, "I'll try kiddo, but I can't make that promise. I promise to do my best though."

"Sure."

They went into the apartment.

 


	9. Dating is Weird

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so rednikjow my artist did a photograph here and words cannot express how much I did this piece. Seriously. Go offer her praise.

 All three of them chilled for the afternoon, Benny having a couple of hot showers to ease his muscles. There was a good bit of laughing and teasing and at one point, Dean had even let his fingers rest alongside Benny's on the couch. It was almost hand holding. Every time Benny smiled, that flash of white teeth inside the beard, Dean felt his heart race a tiny bit. He smiled in response. He never once tried to cover his face in their apartment.

 Eventually as it grew later, Dean decided to make his exit. He got up slowly, leg stiff, but not too bad. Benny and Elizabeth looked up at him. Damn, they have the same smile, Dean thought.

 "Well, I'm headed home." Dean nodded a goodbye.

 "Hey Dad how about you walk your _booooyfriend_ home?" Elizabeth actually nudged and winked at her dad. Both men flushed red.

 Benny looked questioningly at Dean, who just shrugged. Benny took that as agreement enough.

 Just as Benny was closing the door behind him, he heard, "If you're going to get funky - remember to wrap your monkey!"

Both men stared at each other in horror, and silently agreed to pretend they didn't hear that. They made their way downstairs and paused at Dean's door, trying to figure out what to do. Finally Dean sighed, and gestured for Benny to go in.

 Dean grabbed them both beers and decided to start on a neutral topic. He explained that he called an old hunter friend, who said he might know some guys who could take down the pack. Dean would need all the information that Benny could think of maps, weaknesses, names, descriptions, any little bit would help.

 Benny tried not to be too hopeful and agreed to write everything that he could think of down.

 "Thank you brother." Benny said sincerely.

 "It's nothing. I owe you." Dean slowly shredded the label off his bottle. Finally he looked at Benny, "So what are we?"

 "What do you want to be?"

 "Why do I have to have the answers?" Dean complained, feeling a little cornered.

 "You don't brother, but I spent the last 13 years on the run with a woman who I loved, then hated, then sort of just stuck around with until she decided to make a decision that got her throat cut in front of us. So I don't exactly have a manual on how to do this. Last time I was with a guy, well I wasn't this warm and cuddly." Benny grinned and Dean could only think it looked a little wolfish.

 Dean thought about it, "Does it have to have a name?"

 "Nope. Brother, we can be what we want."

 "Could you stop calling me brother, doesn't really put me in the mood." Dean asked.

 Benny nodded agreeably. They fell into silence once more.

Dean chugged the last of his beer down. Slammed the bottle a bit harder on the table than he meant to. Fortune favours the brave. It was something his dad had regularly said, though he didn't think it was meant for this sort of situation. He looked at Benny, "Well, whip it out, let's see if I like dick."

Huh, Dean thought. Spit takes really only work on t.v. shows. Just looks messy in real life. Good to know. He just sat there and watched as Benny wiped off his chin, cleaned up the table a bit. Benny slowly, carefully put his beer on the table and turned on the couch to better face Dean.

The look on his face was a mix of horror, embarrassment, and a little bit of humour. His mouth opened and closed a couple of times. Finally, "Yeah, not sure show and tell is the best way to go about this."

"Why not?"

"Dean will me just dropping trou and letting you stare at my cock actually help you decide if you want to actually touch a dick or not?" Benny asked.

 "Might."

"Good lord save me." Benny called to the heavens.

 "Fine then." Dean felt insulted though he couldn't say why. "See you later." He stared off into space.

 There was a sigh and then that warm hand touching his face, turning his head. He couldn't help but lean into that palm a bit. He looked at Benny, there was a smile. Fond. A little exasperated.

 "I'm going to kiss you now. Tell me if you like it." Benny leaned in and kissed him softly. It didn't really have any pressure, just lips against lips. It was odd. Then it was nice. Dean moved his mouth a little. Benny responded. Then it was hot. They sat on the couch for awhile just making out. Benny's hands were on Dean's face, his neck. Dean tried to figure out where to put his, finally settling on moving a little closer and putting them on Benny's waist, touching his back.

 He was so warm.

 Benny moved his mouth down, trailing along, kissing the scars where they ran down his neck. "How didn't this sever your artery?" He murmured as he kissed a pulse point.

 "Got lucky I guess." Dean didn't want to talk about that, so he tilted his head back a bit to give Benny more room. Benny took the hint and carefully and lightly nibbled at collarbone in between the ridges of scar. Maybe a small moan came out of Dean's mouth.

 Benny sat back, "So, did you like?" He grinned, he damn well knew the answer.

 "Yup." Dean smiled. It was his old charming grin - a free, happy smile. "So now will you -"

 "If you say whip it out again, I'm walking out the door and never coming back." Benny growled.

 "Sure you would, I'm awesome." This time it was Dean who instigated the kiss.

 A minute later, Benny had to agree with that statement. Dean kept trying to budge closer, but he couldn't really get closer. He tried to figure out what he wanted. Benny finally helped him out by grabbing him around the waist and picking him up. He moved Dean so that the younger man was straddling his lap. He made sure to keep Dean a bit back, so that he wasn't on top of Benny's slowly growing erection. This way Dean was actually a little higher than Benny, looking down. It was a little more what he was used to.

 Dean removed the distance Benny had left and wrapped himself all around the older man, pressing in in a giant hug, settling his ass firmly over the denim encased dick. He wiggled a little. Benny got harder.

 "Huh," was all Dean said. He tilted his head down and went back to kissing Benny. He wiggled some more as he did it. This time it was Benny who moaned.

 "It that a good huh, or a bad huh?" Benny asked, fairly out of breath.

 "Good I think." Dean thought about it. "With a girl, she can sound like she's enjoying but you sort of have to get through all the layers, get your hands in there to really know how much. With a guy it's kind of obvious isn't it?" Dean grounded down, moved his hips back and forth. Benny was getting a surprisingly decent lap dance.

 Benny took a chance and moved one of his hands in between he and Dean and rested it on the fly of Dean's jeans. "Yeah, it's pretty obvious." He moved his fingers back and forth over the bulge that had grown there.

 This made Dean wiggle some more. He tried his most charming grin, "So..."

 "Nope." Benny tried for stern, but ruined it with kisses on Dean's nose, lips, chin.

 "Come on, let's get nekkid." Dean bounced up and down a little. Benny groaned both at the absurdity and the sensation of Dean on top of him.

 "Dean do you actually want to touch another guy's cock?" Benny asked.

 "Ummm" Dean tried not to sound hesitant.

"Right. So how about we just keep having fun like this? When was the last time you just made out with someone, because for me it's been a long ass time. And if we happen to get off in our pants, well that's just fine too." Benny pulled Dean's head down for a thorough and slightly messy kiss, thrusting his hips up at the same time. It was a little uncomfortable being confined in jeans, but also was fun, that thrill that only happens when you're young and experimenting for the first time.

Dean made happy, yummy noises in the back of his throat. And settled into the kiss. He kept rocking his hips while on Benny's lap, and Benny kept his hand moving over the denim covering Dean. Sure enough, they both eventually got off, laughing a little at the feeling. Breathless. Content.

Dean snuggled his face into Benny's neck. They stayed like that for awhile. Until things started to get uncomfortable in their clothes.

"I should go back upstairs." Benny sighed. "Here's hoping Elizabeth is in her room."

Dean giggled. Wait no he didn't, he laughed manfully. It was totally a giggle. He slowly pulled away from Benny, eased off the man's lap, collapsed onto the couch, feeling nice and boneless.

Benny stood, stretched he arms up, shirt rising a little. Dean caught a glimpse of tummy, he liked that glimpse. Benny dropped a kiss onto Dean's head. "I have to work tomorrow, see you the day after?"

Dean nodded agreeably. Benny made his way to the door.

"Next time you're totally whipping it out." Dean called after him.

Benny flipped him off, shutting the door after him.

Okay, so maybe I can handle this. Dean thought to himself. He grinned. Then realized how sticky he felt and went to have a shower.

Still that feeling Dean had, it might have been happiness.

  *** * ***

 Sam woke up sweating, shouting silently _Dean._

  _* * *_

 It took Benny a couple of days to write out everything he knew about the pack. He wrote down everything he could think of from growing up there, to what he thought had changed when they had been brought back in. He rated the strength of the purebloods, warning about the alpha - no one had ever bested the old man. The newer stuff was actually fuzzy in his mind, but there had been a lot going on.

He decided to ask Elizabeth if she could add anything. To his surprise she knew a bunch of the cars and their plates. But she had memorized them to keep an eye out for them following the pair. Benny was so proud of how smart she was, and so sad that she had to think like that. He hugged her tight and took them both out for burgers. Later she asked why he needed the information and when Benny explained Dean's plan, maybe she forgave him just a little bit more.

Dean sent 30 pages of notes off to Bobby.

Elizabeth unthawed enough to leave a book and a note for Dean. Dean smiled when he read the note. Looked like he was going to be up late tonight.

Benny hated the night shifts at the hospital. He tended to be alone and bored. They only wanted maintenance there just in case. So he spent a lot of time watching netflix on the old computer they had in their workroom, playing on his phone. He even debated taking up a hobby like knitting, just to help kill the time. He also had naps on the not uncomfortable couch they had.

It was about 1:30am and the numbness of boredom had really started to set in. There was a knock on the door and Benny got wearily up, ready to clean spills, or whatever was needed. He opened the door and couldn't help the grin that grew over his face. There stood Dean with a thermos and bag. He gestured the man into the office and watched as Dean poured out coffee and pulled thick, gorgeous sandwiches out.

"Elizabeth mentioned you sometimes have a rough time on night shifts. Thought I might help you kill some time."

"Awww, did you come to have a date?"

"It's not a date, it's sandwiches." Dean flushed a little. Fussed with his paper napkins.

"Oh, I don't know about that." Benny switched on a couple of the lamps, killed the overhead lights. Started up a play list on Pandora. Sat down and fluttered his lashes at Dean. "How about now?"

"Where are my flowers then?" Dean crossed his arms and raised a brow. Benny thought about it for a minute before hopping up and going over to the small fridge they had, returning with a little flower magnet.

Dean grinned, "Okay maybe it's a date. But I'm not putting out."

Benny snorted, "Damn right your not. You have a mighty fine ass, but not so fine that I'm willing to lose my job over it." He moaned as he bit into the sandwich, it was a damn good sandwich.

"I know, right?" Dean nodded his head. "You're welcome."

Once they were done with the main course, Dean pulled tiny little apple pies out of the bag. They didn't even need forks. They finished up and moved over to stretch out on the couch a bit. It had been a long day for Dean and his bad leg was bothering him. Benny patted his lap and Dean swung his leg up, sighing at the feeling relief. Benny started to massage the thigh and around the knee. Dean was shortly a pile of goo.

"Hey Dean?"

"mshfjeahfhf," Dean muttered.

Benny took that to mean what. "Where do you get money from? I'm mean you're the building manager at the apartments, but it's a small space, are you paid for that?"

Dean opened an eye, and grumbled as Benny's fingers slowed. Benny obligingly got back to the massage. "The woman who owns the building, Bobby saved her son from a poltergeist, so my rent, electricity and heat are all covered, so long as I don't run the bills too high. That keeps expenses way down." Another mumbled purr of contentment at the magic in Benny's fingers.

"In a weird way, all this, was lucky." Dean gestured to the scars. "It seems that the park the Wendigo was in, had a surplus cougar problem that the park decided not to post about so as to not scare away tourists and campers. When they found me all mauled up, they paid my bills and offered a settlement for me to keep my mouth shut. They want to think a cougar did this and give me 100,000 bucks and pay the medical bills - I'll keep my mouth shut."

"That's...handy." was what Benny came up with.

"Yeah and I'm used to living on the cheap, so that should keep me going for awhile. Sometimes I hustle pool for some extra bar money."

Benny grinned, "Well I know our next date. Me kicking your ass at some eight ball."

"Like fuck you will." Dean sat up a little and glared.

"20 bucks and loser buys all the beer that night."

“Deal.” Just then the office phone went off and Benny had to get back to work. Dean packed up the garbage and headed out, kissing Benny on the way.

"See you soon?" Dean asked softly.

"Only on nights for 2 more, then I go back to regular daytime hours."

 "Cool." Another kiss and Dean was gone.

 The rest of the shift went quickly after that.

 

*********

 

Four nights later found the two men at that dive bar where wolf Benny had rescued Dean. They had a couple beers at the bar and then moved over to the pool tables. They both feigned an air of casualness, easy smiles, relaxed shoulders. Until they actually started playing. For some the invasion of Normandy was taken less seriously than this pool game. Both men had steady hands and keen eyes. It went down to the last with Dean just winning. And he immediately offered two out of three.

 Which became three out of five.

 Then five out of seven.

By this point the drinks were starting to catch up with them and the play started to get sloppy. And filled with some cheating. Hands sliding across butts at just the wrong time. Stretches that showed a glimpse of tummy. Fondling cues in inappropriate manners.

 Though that just made Benny laugh, "What are you 14?" He ended up coughing as he snorted his beer up his nose.

 In the end they happily called it a draw and Dean bought the drinks, despite Benny's protests. They decided to drink a couple pops to take time to sober up a bit, neither drunk but neither okay to drive. They settled into a corner table well at the back of the joint, away from eyes and ears.

 Benny blocked the view of Dean a bit, so Dean pulled down his hood.

 "Your eyes are so fucking gorgeous baby." Benny said without thinking.

Dean tensed and look around, to see if anyone heard. He hunched up his shoulders a bit.

"Ah." Benny said staring into his drink, "Is it the location, or the words themselves?"

"I don't know." Dean wrinkled his nose, "Can you stick with like ruggedly handsome, or sexy, or hot, or ass that won't quit? You know manly compliments."

Benny rolled his eyes. He lowered the timbre of his voice, "Damn masculine stubble you grow there sir."

"Okay, okay." Dean sighed, "Just, not used to it in public, you know, flirting with a guy. And don't call me baby, it's a little girly."

"Why don't you present me a list then of acceptable compliments and pet names and I'll commit them to memory?" Benny got up to take a piss.

When he came back he stared at the bar napkin by his seat.

"I was being sarcastic." Benny looked at the cheap paper, ink bleeding through, corners wet from beer.

Dean just shrugged, fingered the list a little closer to Benny.

Benny read acceptable names:

_Babe, sex god, Robert Plant, honey badger, darling, love, the scarlet pimpernel_

"Honey badger?"

"Have you read up on those things, hardcore as fuck." Dean grinned. "Didn't have time to get to acceptable compliments, I'll have that for you in the morning. But that list will probably be cribbed from all the gay porn I've been watching."

Benny thumped back into his seat. "You got to stop going from 0 to 60 darlin', this old heart can't take it."

"Sure you can. So let's talk about what I've learned in the last few days."

"Let's not and say we did."

"But Oprah says any relationship thrives on clear communication and shared goals. Orgasms are a good shared goal." Dean grinned and bounced a little in his chair.

"Right. You want to have this talk we go back to your place."

"See, goals achieved." Dean stood and headed to the parking lot.

"Christ on a crutch, you'll be the death of me."

 

It was a silent drive back to the apartment. Dean headed downstairs, and Benny quickly popped to his own place to check on Elizabeth. Who was asleep. And had left a lovely display of safe sex pamphlets on the table.

Awesome.

Great, now he was starting to sound like Dean. Benny headed back downstairs. Dean had left his door open a crack and Benny went on in, locking it behind him. He saw that a laptop had been put on the coffee table and could hear water in the bathroom.

He went to fridge and grabbed another beer. Benny had a feeling he was going to need it. Dean came out, stripped to just his jeans. It was Benny's first time seeing any of Dean's body this close. He could better see the diagonal path of the scars down his throat and onto his chest. How at the last the claws had clearly dug in a bit, leaving deeper gouges in the flesh just above the nipple. But he also saw a firm body, hairless, the stomach not completely model flat. As his gaze dipped to it, he watched Dean suck in.

"A year off hunting, kind of killed..." Dean faded out, flushing, looking for cover.

"Is one of the compliments I'm allowed to give you about how I want to lick every square fucking inch of your chest, your sexy sexy skin? Work my way down until I pull that zipper down with my teeth, just to see the rest of you?"

He watched Dean's throat move as he swallowed heavily. "Porn seems to streamline it a bit more. More just you seem sexy, let's fuck."

"That what you really want me to say? That what you really what me to feel?" Benny's eyes kept sweeping over Dean's body, hungry for a taste.

Dean made his way over to the couch. "Actually, I have some questions."

"Of course you do. But to be clear, I'm not just whipping it out."

"Are you going to be bugging me about that in our 80s?" Dean made a cranky face.

"Oh darlin', are you picturing us together that long, it's so sweet, I might just shed a tear." Benny swiped said imaginary tear away, "We should embroider it on a pillow for our bed."

Dean just threw a cushion at his head.

"So gay porn, how realistic is it?"

Benny snorted, "about the same as straight porn I'd imagine."

"Oh, yeah, good point." Dean grabbed Benny's beer and took a sip. "Am I supposed to call you Daddy?"

"What porn have you been watching?" Benny asked completely flummoxed.

"Porny, porn."

"Right, that helps." Benny was exasperated - a not uncommon occurrence with Dean.

"I typed into a search for porn with guys using your description." Dean finally said.

Benny tried to decide if that was oddly sweet. And then clued into something.

"You ended up with a lot of bear and twink stuff didn't you?"

Dean perked up, "Yeah those were the terms!"

Benny pressed fingers into the bridge of his nose. "Did any of that turn you on?"

"I guess a little, it seemed..."

"Right." Benny pulled over the laptop. "Want to watch some of my favourite porn and jerk off together?'

"Hell yes!" Dean said eagerly.

"Chill there, honey badger" Benny was a slow typer but eventually queued up what he was looking for. "Mind if I take my shirt off?"

"Nope." Dean didn't even try not to stare as Benny shed some layers. Benny had a light coating of hair over his chest, not a pelt, but enough that Dean really wanted to know how it would feel against him. He watched Benny lean over and press play.

"Now, I'm assuming at some point in your life, you've been in a room where another guy's been taking care of business." Benny drawled slowly.

Dean flushed bright red. Those scenarios usually involved his brother, and that was really something he'd rather not think about. Still he nodded.

"You know how you are supposed to ignore it, pretend it's not happening, not look, go deaf, dumb, and blind?" Dean nodded again. "Well this time, babe, look all you want."

"Neat." Dean settled back into the couch as the video finished buffering. Neither man rushed to pop open their pants, just let the feeling of closeness to each other sweep over them as the video played.

Benny had chosen one that was amateur, but well shot, the two men in it clearly knew and had affection for each other. There was no gimmick, no fancy setting, just touching, and kissing, and doing the do.

"Oh. This is better." Dean said, shifting a little, palming himself through his pants. One of the men in the video went down on the other. "I might not be great at that." Dean admitted.

"No one is their first time. Practice makes perfect. Been almost 15 years for me since I did that, but I used to be damned good at it, next time hmmm." Benny stretched his legs out a little more. "Mind if I make some more room for myself?"

Dean shook his head no and heard the rasp of zipper, the shift of pants. He didn't look over yet, not quite that brave. He undid his own pants, slid his hand in. Felt how hard he was getting. Finally he looked over. Benny had lowered his pants and boxers enough so that his cock was free. It was fully hard, but not quite what Dean had expected.

"What's up with your dick?" He blurted out.

Benny looked over, "Dean, you want to try that question again?"

Dean winced, "Right, sorry, never mind." He went back to staring at the porn.

Benny was still. "The old man didn't believe in altering his children in any way. A wolf wouldn't be cut, so his children wouldn't be cut. No circumcision, no tattoos. Our skin was supposed to be pure."

"Oh, foreskin, right." Dean looked back over. Benny moved his hand down and away so Dean could look his fill.

Huh, Dean thought. It's a dick. He didn't know what he was really expecting, a huge revelation, a revulsion, but it was just a dick. A fair bit of hair surrounded the base. The cock was shorter than his, but thicker, straight, foreskin pulling back. Finally he went with, "Cool." He watched as Benny's hand went back to work a slow up and down motion, grasp firm but not tight. Dean felt hypnotized by that hand.

"Feeling a little lonely here, darlin." Benny said, smiling.

"Sure." Dean took a deep breath, and eased out of his clothes. He was longer than Benny, a little darker, and curved just a bit. He felt very shy in that moment. Until he heard the purr that came from Benny's throat.

"Oh, I'm going to have fun with you." Benny said promisingly. Dean blushed a little at the idea, before turning his eyes back to the porn. One of the men was slowly stretching the other out, getting him ready for penetration.

"I don't know about that." Dean said quietly, fisting his dick, his hand unconsciously moving in a rhythm with the porn.

"That's a future worry, just stick with the here and now. Think of me here with you, watching some very attractive men, doing some very sexy things. Or you can just watch me." It was an easy call for Dean. He took his eyes off the laptop and focused on Benny. Benny in turn kept is eyes on Dean as he tightened his grip, and began to move a little faster.

Dean moved his own hand in time with Benny, gasping at the sensation. Benny's hips began to thrust a little with each upswing of his hand and the fingers danced over the head of his cock, spreading the moisture gathering there. Both men moaned in pleasure.

Hands were practically a blur and soon enough Benny was coming. Dean grabbed himself hard and fast, not caring about subtly and followed Benny just a couple minutes later. They sat there, just looking at each other, breathing hard.

"So, honey badger,” Benny smirked at the pet name, “can I call you gorgeous now?"

"Sure, but you don't have to actually call me that." Dean laughed.

"Maybe it's growing on me." Benny leaned over and kissed Dean for the first time that night.

"Babe, or darlin work fine too." Dean said before adding a few extra kisses.

Dean tossed over a few tissues to help Benny clean up before he had to head out. He knew Benny had to get upstairs to Elizabeth, but maybe he hoped one night Benny would stay.

At the door, Benny kissed him. "How's night after tomorrow? Maybe go to the park, watch the tree lighting ceremony, drink crappy hot chocolate?"

Dean smiled happily, "That sounds good. All family like."

"Doesn't it just. G'night Dean." Benny winked and was gone.

Dean went back to the couch and bookmarked the porn - just for future reference.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if the photo isn't loading try here: https://36.media.tumblr.com/8de2f258eac6c53fea64875f1dc474ff/tumblr_nq61ni8Wsc1tiwyado2_1280.jpg


	10. Family

This time when Sam woke, he wasn't silent, he was screaming Dean's name. He tried to get out of the bed, but just sort of flopped out onto the ground, crying Dean and muttering something about blue eyes.

Jess didn't know what to do. Sam had been having nightmares for months. And not just nightmares, he woke screaming, sweating, and sometimes crying. He would spend days scouring the internet, looking at newspapers, searching for people. Sometimes he found something, but wouldn't explain what, and sometimes he came to bed smelling like whiskey.

In September he gave her this charm necklace, said he found it in a thrift shop, thought it was neat and asked her to wear it. And never take it off. He had been so serious when he said that. So she left it on. She researched some of the symbols on the necklace, but stopped when it lead to some weird satanic looking pages.

One night, at 2am he hadn't been to bed yet. When Jess went to check on him, he was just sitting in a chair, in the dark. "Should I have gone with Dean to look for our Dad?"

Jess curled into Sam's lap, "Oh sweetie, that was a year ago, why is it bugging you? If he couldn't find your dad, wouldn't have he at least called by now?" She looked at red rimmed eyes, "What's going on? You didn't even talk to them for four years, I didn't even know you had a brother. What are you hiding?"

Sam wouldn't answer that. On the table was a piece of paper. "If anything...really weird ever happens call these three numbers, they can help. Say you're Sam Winchester's fiancee, they'll bend over backwards to help." He hadn't put any names down.

Shortly after that, the dreams about Dean started. They were worse than all the others. It was the beginning of December, and exams were just around the corner, but Sam didn't seem to care. His first semester of law school was not going well. Jess called and invited Brady over, they hadn't seen him in a couple months, and Jess hoped that he could knock Sam out of his funk.

They had one of the rare winter frosts that hit Palo Alto, and the porch of their small rental house ended up coated in ice. Sam had laid down a bunch of salt earlier and it had pitted through the freeze.

Jess saw Brady pull up in a brand new Audi and step out, looking sharp as ever. Hard to believe he was the lazy guy from second year. She called to Sam that Brady was there, and they opened the front door to wait for him.

Brady saw the couple, smiled and waved, but didn't step onto the walkway. "Hey guys, I brought some damn fine wine for us to knock back, get nice and loose." He looked at the ground, "Can I come around the back? Don't want to get my new custom Italian shoes coated in this salt."

Jess turned, "Sure I'll -" But Sam grabbed her and subtly put her behind him.

"Sorry Brady, back's salted too. Why don't you just step carefully over it?" Jess tried to peer over Sam's shoulder, but couldn't see a thing.

"Come on man, these shoes cost me a fortune. How about you just sweep some of it away, looks like it did its job."

"Looks like it's still doing its job, doesn't Brady?" Sam glared.

Jess poked Sam in the ribs and got out from behind him. "What is going on, just come up Brady, we'll wipe your shoes off."

"How long?" Sam asked.

"Since second year. You really are a dumb fuck aren't you Sam? How could you not see it? Just didn't want to I guess. Had to play like you weren't who you are, what you are." Brady shrugged. "Made my job easier anyway."

"What job was that?"

"Keep an eye on you. Trigger you if need be. But you've triggered yourself haven't you? If you had gone with Dean, well I would have had some fun. But then you stuck around. Harder to put your girl on the ceiling that way. And then you got her all nice and protected. Not cool Sam. Not cool." Brady tsked as he straightened his sleeves.

"Hey Sam, how you been sleeping? Think maybe you going crazy?" Brady grinned, "Piper's coming due, my boy. Piper's coming due. Daddy and Dean can't protect you, not this time. You can run, you can hide, but old Yellow Eyes is going to collect his prize."

Jess screamed at the sight of black smoke pouring out of Brady's mouth. Sam didn't even have to go over to know Brady was dead. He just slammed and locked the door. Jess backed up against the wall shaking. "Sam, what was that, we need to check on Brady."

Sam shook his head, "Brady's dead, probably has been for months at least."

"But we talked to him, he's our friend."

"Jess we don't have time right now." Sam lightly shook her. "We need to go - fast. You have ten minutes to pack us some clothes and food."

"No, wait." Jess tried to protest.

"I'll explain later, but we need to get gone. Just trust me." Jess nodded and ran upstairs.

Sam went into the closet and pulled out the locked footlocker he had. He picked the lock, having thrown the keys away long ago, and grabbed a knife and a shot gun. He threw a few other things into a bag and packed up the laptop. Jess came down nine minutes later, bag so full it couldn't be shut.

Jess just stared at the gun, at the easy way Sam was handling it. "How much of a lie are you?"

"So much." He opened the door to the garage and they got in the car. "You'll drive the first bit, so I can keep an eye out. Just head north out of town."

They drove in a tense silence for an hour. Finally Jess asked, "Where are we headed?"

"South Dakota."

It was supposed to be a 26 hour drive. They were on Bobby's doorstep within 20. Anywhere they stopped that had reception Sam had Jess calling those three numbers.

The one said to call Dean Winchester for help.

The next one was disconnected.

The third just rang and rang.

 

*********

Bobby had been ignoring his regular line for a couple of days, only responding to his hunter lines, which luckily had been pretty quiet. He had been pouring over the notes that Dean had sent along to him. If these panned out, it would be a huge victory for hunters. Pulling down a pureblood pack of this size and magnitude would be historic. And dangerous. He had put in a call to Ellen, just to get some feelers out there for whom might be capable of working a job like this.

Hell, he had even tried to call that son of a bitch John Winchester, but his phone still had that same message it had for a over a year now. Call Dean he can help. Like he never even listened to the dozens of messages Bobby left while Dean was in the hospital. But where John had always been obsessed before, the last year and a half had broken something in him, and his thirst to find that demon just consumed him.

Bobby kept staring at the information of the hierarchy of the compound, from the leader on down. What was bugging Bobby was this pack ran out of Louisiana and as far as he knew Dean still lived in the ass end of northern Vermont. So how did he get detailed enough information to let Bobby know where some of the pack buy their fucking underwear?

Bobby was mulling this over with a whiskey when he could hear the roar of an engine come tearing up his drive. He grabbed a gun and went to his front door. He stared at the very practical Honda Civic in his drive. Bobby had no idea who the girl was, but he sure as hell knew the guy with her.

He grabbed the bottle of holy water off the table, flung a bit in both their faces. Tossed a silver knife to Sam, who nicked his arm. Before Jess realized what was going on, he cut her too. After hours of tense driving, silence, panic, it was just too much. She just sort of collapsed on the ground. Sam watched her fall.

"Well pick her up you idjit." Bobby yelled walking into his house.

Sam picked Jess up, cradled her close, murmuring I'm sorry, I'm so sorry again and again. He put her on the beat up couch in the study that had been there as long as Sam remembered. Bobby had a damp cloth for her face, and a glass of something strong. Sam cleaned her face, offered her the whiskey. When she refused, he knocked it back himself.

"What are you Sam?" Jess asked.

"Just a guy."

"No, that's not quite right is it?"

Sam sighed, "I don't know."

"Ah hell boy, what's going on?" Bobby sat down, knowing this was going to suck.

"I've been having dreams." Sam said. "Only sometimes they come true."

"Visions. You've been having visions." Bobby glared, "How long?"

"Months. A year. Started with Jess on the ceiling like mom. Had that just before Dean visited. Only they stopped and then nothing for a few months." Sam started to pace, "And then they started up again. Hazy, confused. People about my age. Most of them ended up dead. In weird ways, always some sort of mystery. And now -" Sam looked at Bobby "I've been dreaming about Dean."

Before Bobby could ask for more details, Jess piped in, "What was that black smoke coming out of Brady?"

Bobby turned sharply, "Shit. Demons?"

"Yeah, been watching me for a couple years. Said time's coming. That Yellow Eyes is coming for me." Sam sat beside Jess. "Why would he be coming for me?"

"Who's Yellow Eyes?" Jess yelled.

"The demon who killed my mom." Sam said quietly.

"Demons aren't real, Sam." Jess cupped his face, "This isn't real, can't be real."

"Sorry girl," Bobby was sympathetic. He remembered when he learned the truth. "Demons are real, the things in the dark - real. And your boy there used to hunt them with his brother and daddy."

"Hunting trip and not back in a few days." Jess remembered.

"Yeah." Sam agreed. "But I hated it, wanted to leave it behind, forget it all. Just be normal."

"And how's that working out?" Bobby asked.

"I get it Bobby. But we need Dad and Dean, where are they hunting right now?"

"Fuck if I know about your dad." Bobby scratched his beard, "And not like Dean's been hunting in the last year."

"But they're together." Sam protested.

"No, they're not." Bobby looked at Sam, "They haven't been together since Dean went to see you."

"But he found Dad, they went back to work. They would have called me otherwise."

"Why? You made it clear to Dean that you didn't give a fuck about them." Bobby was still a little pissed about this, it turned out. "What do you think happened after Dean left you?"

"Well it was just a con, to bring me back in." To Sam it had been obvious.

"No, son, it wasn't. Dean really didn't know where your dad was, hell he still doesn't." Bobby poured more whiskey.

"Dean tried to trail your dad, did some solo hunts. Never found him, and stuff went to shit. Dean's now up in northern Vermont."

"But he's hunting." Sam stated.

"No. He can't, not anymore."

"What happened Bobby?"

"I called you, left messages saying Dean had a spot of trouble."

"Well sure, but it's Dean there's always a spot of trouble." Sam complained.

"Not like this boy." Bobby swallowed his drink, "He's up and running now, but that's the best I can say." Thinking about this got Bobby back on track. "Wait, you've been dreaming about Dean?"

Sam winced, "Just these flashes. Woods, a full moon. And a wolf standing over him growling, snapping at his throat."

"Shit." Bobby looked at the file folder on his table. "In the south? Is there a compound?"

"No, there's a layer of snow on the ground."

Bobby's head snapped up, "You sure boy?"

"Why?"

"Because Dean just sent me a dossier on a pureblood pack of werewolves in the south and I have no idea how he got the information." Bobby looked at his calendar. "Full moon isn't for a few more days. It will be a two, three day drive to get to him if we both pull shifts."

"Three of us pull shifts." Jess added. Both men looked at her.

"Baby -"

"No, I don't understand what's going on here, but I'll be damned if you're going without me Sam. I'll not be left behind." Jess thought about it. "Why don't we just fly?"

"Can't bring the amount of weapons we'll have on a plane." Bobby explained.

"Oh." Jess's world was reshaping itself.

"Grab a room, get some rest you two. We'll head out in the morning. We'll keep leaving messages and co-ordinates for your dad. Maybe he'll finally pay attention." Bobby headed out.

Sam stared at Jess's face, her lost look, "Jess."

"No, I'm pissed at you, but it sounds like I don't have time for that. So later, I'm kicking your ass. For now though, you need to hug me and tell me everything is going to be fine."

Sam wrapped his arms around Jess, "Everything's going to be fine."

Jess wished she could believe him. Sam didn't even try to believe it.

 

***********

Dean walked up to Benny's place, curious about what the night would bring. It sounded like hallmark card family bonding sort of stuff, not something he had real experience with. One of the best Christmases he could remember was stealing Sam a Barbie doll. He knew that probably wasn't what most people would classify as a great holiday moment.

He knocked on the door and Elizabeth swung it open, looking festive. Really festive. Like super duper, a little scary festive. She was swathed in red and green, a huge scarf trailing around her, mittens shaped like Christmas trees. Her tights had candy canes on them and her too big stomping boots had red laces. Dean closed his eyes. Opened them. The image stayed the same.

"Right. Need to work on your holiday spirit there girl." Dean stepped inside, praying that Benny wasn't similarly attired.

"Oh shut it, I'm cute." Dean wouldn't admit out loud that she was.

Luckily Benny just looked like Benny as he came out. It was a good look. Benny went to grab his usual hat and Elizabeth shook her head.

"I got us all matching Christmas hats." She was too damn cheerful. The best that could be said was that they were at least just skull caps. Swirly red and green striped skull caps, but no lights, no antlers. That was something.

Both men shook their heads.

Benny fell to the power of his daughter's pout, but Dean was made of stronger stuff.

Batted lashes didn't work, pleases didn't work. He was a hunter, he had faced the worst things imaginable he wouldn't crumble.

"I'll permanently forgive you for trying to kill Dad. And you don't always have to stay down in your apartment."

Dean grabbed the damn hat.

"And no hiding under a hood." She added as they headed out.

They made it to the town centre park, and it was nice. There were booths with drinks and snacks, homemade goods for sale. Christmas music was being played on a small stage by one of the local bar bands, and there was a countdown clock to the lighting of the trees. It was exactly what Dean would thought it would be like, and nothing he had ever taken part in before.

Dean could feel people staring at them, but then realized they were just as likely staring at the matching hats, Elizabeth's absurd outfit. And Dean clued in that she did it on purpose. He looked over to Benny, who had caught onto this when they first got to the park. Benny winked, and Dean flashed that charming grin. Dean then took a step that he didn't think he would for awhile, if even ever. He slipped his hand into Benny's. It was so warm, calloused from work. And he it gripped tight.

They walked along, drinking hot apple cider, commenting on the goods for sale, stopping at the bandstand for a bit. Elizabeth chattering at them the whole time, smiling whenever she caught a glimpse of those clasped hands.

"He's your Snow isn't he, Dad?" Elizabeth asked.

Dean was confused, even more when Benny flushed a furious red. "Shut up." Benny muttered to his daughter.

"Admit it, Bigby. Totally your Snow." Elizabeth grinned and bounced a little.

"I don't get it." Dean added in.

"It's nothing." Benny glared at Elizabeth. Who just giggled and hugged both guys.

The countdown clock was getting close and the band was winding down. The three of them stood there, happily. Dean's bad leg was starting to ache a bit, so he leaned into Benny who happily took some of the weight.

"Ew, gross." they heard a youngish voice say.

"He's so disgusting looking, shouldn't he be wearing a mask? Why'd they even let him out of the house?" A fellow teen said, loud enough to make sure he was overheard. A good number of people glared at the boys, but no one said anything.

"Bad enough we have to look at queers, and then also stare at those fucking ugly scars? Whatever did that should have finished the job." The kids high fived each other.

"Bet getting fucked by a guy was the only way he could get any. No girl would touch him."

Dean had dropped Benny's hand and was now standing straight, almost at parade rest, which had to be killing his leg. Elizabeth was sad and furious, but not sure she should do anything.

Benny turned Dean's head and kissed his mouth, right over where the scar cut lip, and then the worst of the lines on his cheek. "Be right back."

"Don't. It's fine." Dean protested.

"I ain't going to hurt them." Benny grinned his wolfish grin, "Just going to have a talk."

Benny ambled over to the two teen boys, who were grinning, feeling smug. They looked to be about 16, clearly worked out, thought Benny's bulk was fat.

"Well now boys, seems you have upset my mate and my daughter. This here is a happy, family event, so how about you apologize and move it along."

"Your mate, what are you some sort of alpha dog?" The one guy snorted.

"Something like that. Now apologize." A little steel entered Benny's voice.

The other laughed, "Look old man, free country we can say what we want."

"Sure it is, and sure you can. Just like I can say clearly your mamas are good for nothing cheap ass worn out whores, too tired from fucking the whole town to bother teaching their sons some manners."

Both boys started to flush in anger. "Take that back."

"Why, it's a free country." Benny's face got darker. "Now I'm sure that's a lie, and an unpleasant one at that. Just like it's a lie to call my man ugly. He's sexy and handsome, and when he smiles, could pull anyone lady or man in this town without thinking." Benny brought his hands up, cracked his knuckles. "But he is a mite sensitive about those scars and would appreciate an apology." Benny leaned in and whispered. "So you'll say you're sorry and you'll have more respect to strangers. Or, and this I promise you, I will find out who you are, where you live and in the dead of night I'll come to your homes, kill everyone in them and plant all the weapons, the blood on you. I'll eat your mama's hearts and swipe that blood over your face. You'll wake up, cops over your beds, your hands encased in intestine, wearing your siblings skin like a blanket."

Benny stepped back all affable smiles, "So what'll it be?"

The one boy was crying as they stammered apologies and ran. Benny returned to Dean and Elizabeth.

"You made one of them pee themselves a little. What the fuck did you say?" Dean whispered.

"Just presented a couple options to them is all. I think they learned their lesson."

Elizabeth smiled, proud as ever of her dad (and she had a good idea what might have been said, she had overheard her dad threaten a teacher of hers once who had called her stupid). Dean smiled in gratitude. But as the lights of the booths and the streetlights dimmed, he didn't take back Benny's hand. They all clapped as the trees lit up, bright, brilliant, and Dean stayed two inches away from Benny the whole time.

As they were headed back to the car they ran into a school friend. "Clara, hey! Oh Hi Mr. Lafitte and..."

"Dean Winchester."

"Hi Mr. Winchester." the girl said.

"Hey Gemma." Elizabeth replied.

"Mom and Dad are taking me out for a late dinner and treat, do you want to come along? Mom said it's okay." Gemma looked hopeful.

Benny nodded to Elizabeth, grabbing his wallet and slipped her some money. "Home by 9:30, okay?" It wasn't quite yet 7 so there was plenty of time for fun.

Elizabeth kissed her dad and Dean's cheeks before running off with her friend. The two men made their way to the car, Dean trying to hide his limp, and now that Elizabeth was gone, pulling his hoodie up. They drove in silence, Dean ignoring Benny as they got out of the car. When they got inside Dean started to head downstairs, but Benny grabbed his hand.

"Come to mine, please?" Dean reluctantly followed.

Benny let them in, took their coats. He didn't try to pull off the hood, just wrapped Dean in a tight hug. They stood like that for a few minutes, until Dean began to hug back.

"Can you trust me for a little bit, honey badger?"

"You can stop calling me that, I know it's stupid." Dean said, voice muffled by Benny's sweater.

"Sorry, I've grown right fond of it. Now I want you to go have a nice shower, I'll make you my special hot toddy. Then I want you to go lay on my bed wearing at most your underwear or a towel."

"Benny..." Dean sounded sad, defeated.

"I just want to show you something, okay?"

Dean sighed and headed to the bathroom. He stayed in the shower until the water got cold, before toweling off and heading to Benny's bedroom. The warm whiskey was beside the bed, but no Benny. Dean moved about the pillows and propped himself up a bit, sipping the drink that was heavy on the whiskey and sugar, light on the water and lemon. It was tasty and making him mellow.

He looked over at the snuffle at the door. There was Benny in wolf form.

"Guess it's close enough to that full moon that it doesn't hurt as much to shift?" Dean asked.

There was a sort of huff of agreement. The wolf came a little closer. Lifted its paws onto the bed. Dean was still amazed how the eyes were still Benny, but somehow more. An extra shine, something Dean couldn't explain. He broke that gaze, stared at the front paws on the bed.

Once more, couldn't really help himself. "My, what big paws you have."

A yip, a small whine. Dean realized he was asking permission. "Oh come on up then." The wolf hopped up and went close to Dean. Dean couldn't help but scratched, pet, loving the rumble that came deep from the animal's belly. "So, what's this about, hmmm? How is this going to do anything? I know they were just being jackass teen boys, that I shouldn't let any of it get to me." Dean sighed, hands buried in fur. "It's just. I used to be able to get people to talk to me with just a smile. On a hunt people would bend over backwards to tell the pretty reporter, the pretty rookie agent anything and everything. Any bar I could hustle money, find a girl. It was all so easy. That's just gone. And now no one sees anything but the mess."

The wolf huffed in protest, head butting Dean a little. "Except for you and Elizabeth. Why is that huh? Why aren't you two freaked out more? Why are you two with a broken hunter?"

This time the wolf made no noise, just a soft lick along the scar through Dean's lip. It made Dean smile a little, "Might be getting a little closer to my 'oh hell no' sex list buddy. Not into animals."

No response, just another small lick at the next scar on Dean's face. Then the third at the edge. A lick to wear there was a tiny bit of ear missing. Wolf Benny licked at the lines across neck and collarbone. Laved at where the gouges sunk deep just above Dean's nipple. He then nudged Dean's legs apart and flopped in between and licked at all the scars around the knee, the thigh, where muscle was shortened a little by injury, where the knee had three surgeries just to get Dean back to walking, the scar on the shin, that actually wasn't from the Wendigo but rough housing with Sammy when they were kids. Any scar that could be seen was licked by that warm, rough tongue.

Dean finally understood what Benny was doing - worshiping Dean in a way Dean would never allow the human version to do. Showing comfort, love, value for who Dean was. Dean remembered that Benny had called him mate to the boys.

Dean wondered if this should terrify him more than it did. It seemed Benny had finished and just sat there, staring at Dean. Dean pushed down the bed so that he was lying down. Benny moved beside him, curling up into him. Dean soaked up the warmth, threw an arm around the large wolf.

"Okay. Okay, I get it." Dean said quietly. The wolf seemed to wiggle in deeper. Dean smiled, pressed his face into the animal's neck. "Can we stay like this for awhile?" A huff of agreement.

Elizabeth walked in at 9:25. She knocked quietly on her dad's door, peeking in when there was no answer. Smiling at the sight of Dean wrapped around the wolf. "Totally his Snow." she whispered as she closed the door.

 

 


	11. What a Way to Say Hello

It wasn't quite yet dawn when Dean woke up. He tried to think of the last time he had that much sleep, and came up blank. Snuggled in his arms was Benny. Human Benny, he must have shifted in the night. The dark outside was warming up enough that Dean could just make out the scars on Benny's back. Dean eased back a few inches so that he could trace some of them. To a certain extent they were uglier than Dean's.

Dean's were done by an animal (a horrific monster, but fundamentally an animal), defending it's territory and life. These were whip lashes, knife cuts, and a burned brand, done by men with the only purpose to cause constant pain. He could just make out some of the silver dust buried in the welts of the brand. It looked like it had been there for years, not just the handful of months it had been. It proved that Benny was stronger than they had realized, maybe stronger than even he realized. Dean was thankful for that. He tilted his head down a bit and kissed the heart of the brand.

"You can do that again darlin." Benny said softly. Dean obliged. He pushed Benny over so that he could see the whole of his back and returned the favour, the worship Benny had offered him last night. Dean kissed every scar, relished every sigh that Benny made. He worked his way down the older man's back to where the one whip lash scarred the top of a butt cheek.

"Hee-hee butt." Dean said, and couldn't help himself and planted a big wet smooch there, with maybe a little nibble. "I kissed your butt."

Benny laughed into his pillow. Dean was such a dork. Dean nudged Benny to roll over, but Benny didn't really move.

"Roll over...wait I don't have a thing to call you." Dean thought about it, "What do you want?"

Benny moved so his head was facing Dean, "Not pet or sweetheart. Anything else is fine."

Dean didn't ask why not those two names, figured they were tied up in Andrea or his past. He hummed smoke on the water as he thought, "Bear? Because of that porn I watched. Also babe, or oooh how about stud muffin, that's a nice classic."

Benny just closed his eyes, "Babe is fine."

"Sure, bear whatever you want." Dean had a flash of thought, "Or I could just call you B it covers all the things!"

"Can we just get back to the kissing honey badger?"

Dean shook his head, "I can't believe that's sticking." He leaned down and kissed the tip of Benny's nose. "Now, why won't you roll over?"

Benny smiled, "Because all those kisses got me feeling happy."

"Well that was the point." Dean was confused.

"Just think about it for a second."

Dean tapped his fingers on a pillow for a second, "Ahhh, morning wood."

"There you go."

"Wellllllll....." Dean grinned.

"Don't say it." Benny warned. Then in a quiet voice, "You sure?"

Dean nodded and Benny rolled over, his dick springing up straight as it was freed from the weight of Benny. Dean stared at Benny laid out before him, morning sun just slipping in through the blinds. For the first time Dean understood how you could use the word gorgeous to describe a guy. He put his hand over Benny's heart, feeling that fast pump. He leaned down and kissed Benny, both making faces at morning breath, but pushing through anyways.

Dean slowly moved his hand down until it rested on Benny's belly button. Dean wrinkled his nose at how Benny's abs were flatter than his. In clothes Benny looked so stocky, but undressed like this you could see it was all muscle. Dean pressed a hand to the bit of tummy pudge he had.

"You know you're sexy, my darlin, my honey badger, my Dean." Benny smiled. Forget gorgeous, thought Dean. Stunning, luminous.

Dean had a though, "At the full moon, I want to see you run. I've seen you in here, and even out there, but it's after. I want to see you free."

It was a wonderful thing to have said, something Andrea never did, never would have. Shit, Benny thought, Elizabeth was right, he's totally my Snow White. I'm a bloody comic book character. Still he had to warn Dean of one thing.

"Dean, when in wolf form, you smell good to me. And it will be strongest at the full moon."

"Oh god, are you going to eat me?" Dean asked, worried.

"No dumb ass. You smell right to me, it's how I found you in that parking lot, I was chasing a perfect scent."

"That's why you called me mate right?" Dean's hand had crept a little lower and was resting on, rubbing a hip bone.

"Yeah." Benny tried not to arch into those fingers.

"Wolves, purebloods, they can mate for life?" Dean's fingers moved a tiny bit closer to his goal.

"They can." was all Benny said, not able to hold back a gasp.

Dean pulled his hand back, "Wait, does that mean that you would want to you know...ew...while in your wolf form, oh god, that's..."

"No, I wouldn't try to fuck you. Still have my sensibility." Benny frowned, "Once again, what research on werewolves did you do?"

"You don't want to know what's there on the internet." Dean shuddered.

"All I meant was, if I'm running and catch your scent, I'll probably tackle you, rub my face on you a fair bit, get happy that you're there, and extra protective."

"Oh." Dean put his hand back and got back to rubbing the skin where hip met pelvis, quickly bringing Benny back to fullness. "That's fine then." Millimeter by millimeter the fingers pushed closer, resting in the hair surrounding the erection.

Dean stalled out. Bought some time by kissing Benny.

Benny knew a delay tactic when he saw one. "Just a dick Dean. I imagine you've touched yours a time or two."

Dean stuck out his tongue at Benny. His fingers managed to just brush hot, firm skin.

"Want some help?" Benny asked. Dean nodded.

Benny kissed Dean's palm before wrapping it around his hardness, putting his hand over top Dean's. He began to pump up and down. Slowly, letting Dean adjust to the feel.

Dean kind of nodded and Benny took his hand away, Dean keeping up the motion on his own. Dean watched the foreskin move, head popping up, slowly starting to leak precome. Dean moved his hand a little faster, Benny moaned. He began to rock his hips in time with Dean's hand.

"Angle's a little weird." Dean said.

Benny moved Dean's hand off and rolled onto his side. "Get behind me. Lay down."

"So not ready to fuck you Benny." Dean protested.

"Or, if you wrap your hand around me, it would put it at a more comfortable angle that you are used to for touching cock." Benny explained.

"Right. Got it." Dean snuggled up tight behind Benny. His own hard dick rested against Benny's ass, but he ignored all that for now, moving his hand back to Benny, grabbing him tight. "Oh, yeah this makes more sense now."

"Good. Now shut up and jerk me off already. Make me feel good and I'll suck your cock after." Dean immediately went to work, touching Benny how he liked to touch himself. He peppered kisses over Benny's shoulder, bit a little into the crook of Benny's shoulder, to muffle any noise he might make. Benny had his face buried in a pillow to quiet his moans.

Benny's hips chased Dean's hand, and Dean couldn't help but move his body in tandem. Benny came with a muffled shout. Once he could catch his breath, Benny said, "K, I'm happy to take care of you."

Dean stopped Benny from turning, buried his hot face into that scarred back. "Umm, you were a little too busy to notice, but that won't be necessary. A change of sheets will be though."

"Like getting me off that much do you?" Benny smirked.

"Shut it." Dean replied.

They stayed spooned for a few minutes. Finally Dean asked, "So the big downside to doing a guy is the amount of sticky afterward. We should keep baby wipes in here, it seems they would help."

"So practical."

"What, tidiness is important." Dean protested.

Benny just sighed. Reminded himself to save some more quarters for the extra laundry it seemed he'd be doing now.

* * *

 

Sam was incredibly frustrated by the progress they were making. They had been delayed a day leaving Bobby's due to the highway being closed. When they could, they left Bobby's at a reasonable time, but it seemed as if the weather wasn't going to co-operate the whole way there. They were on night two on the road and were just past Erie, Pennsylvania. Every time Sam bitched about their slow progress, Bobby snarked about traveling the Midwest and the rust belt in the winter. Jess tried to ignore all this. When it was Bobby's turn behind the wheel Jess asked Sam any and every question she could think of.

Sam was reluctant to talk of certain things, but answered a bit about his history. Occasionally he'd offer up one of the few happy memories he had. Bobby had a story or two of young Sam that made Jess giggle and Sam blush.

Bobby was able to answer some of her tougher questions about lore and monsters. All in all at this point Jess was adapting remarkably well.

"So, in your dreams," Jess began.

"Visions." Sam and Bobby corrected.

"In your visions you saw Dean being attacked by a werewolf under the full moon. Could it just have been, you know, a wolf?"

Bobby shook his head, "Girl in our line of business, there ain't no coincidences. Dean sending me all that research on werewolf packs, and now Sam's seeing that. Can't be good."

"But werewolves don't look like wolves, do they?"

"They can if they are pureblood, from a true line. And that's what Dean gave me intel on."

Bobby pulled into a parking lot. "Weather report is staying pretty clear, let's stop for lunch, and then push hard, we can be in St. Albans tonight."

They all slid into a booth, ordered some food. Bobby excused himself to leave yet another message for John. Bobby made it back in time to watch his plate of eggs and hash browns hit the table. They all dug in, road weary.

Eventually, Sam asked a question that was bugging him. "Why is Dean that far up north, was there a hunt or something?"

"I told you boy, your brother can't hunt anymore. He lives there. I was able to get him a deal through some connections. He's an apartment manager, gets free rent."

Sam snorted, "Come on, it's a long job or something. Dean doesn't just go straight."

Bobby sighed, "Listen, about a year ago, little less maybe, didn't you get some calls from a hospital?"

Sam realized something, "I had problems with my scholarship and missed payments on a couple bills. Lost my phone messages." Sam was quiet, "What happened to Dean?"

Bobby was relieved that at least Sam hadn't ignored Dean like John had. "He did some solo hunts, trailing your dad after you turned him down. One went bad, it was a pretty close call. When Dean was finally conscious he called me as the hospital tried to reach you and your dad and got nothing."

"So he's spooked now?" Sam just didn't get it.

But Jess did. "You didn't say doesn't hunt anymore. You said can't."

Sam went white, and sounded like a little boy, "Bobby?"

"He's in one piece and can walk." Bobby threw some money on the table. "Come on, let's hit the road."

For once the weather was with them. New York and then Vermont were cold, a layer of snow on the ground but clear. As they made their way through small towns, they watched it get dark and watched the moon start to rise, the full moon. Sam drove a little faster.

They pulled into Dean's parking lot at around 10, the Impala wasn't in the lot. The three rushed to the door, and rang Dean's bell getting no answer. Jess was the one to notice the young girl bringing up a basket of laundry. They motioned for her to open the door, she refused.

Sam saw the intercom and pointed at it. The girl signaled apt 206 and ran up the steps. They gave her a couple minutes and buzzed her. They decided to let Jess do the talking, thinking that the girl might be most comfortable with her.

"Hi miss, we're trying to reach Dean Winchester. He's not answering his buzzer, and we drove a long way to see him." Jess put on a cheerful voice.

"Well you can just wait until he gets home." The girl replied.

Jess thought, "It's a surprise! He doesn't know we're coming, and it will be such a holiday treat for him."

"Lady, I ain't letting strangers in."

"Wait!" Sam called, "I'm Sam Winchester, his brother."

"His brother is an asshole who won't talk to him." They clued in that the child knew Dean.

"Well I'm here now." Sam explained.

"Why?" Suspicion dripped from her voice.

"I just really need to see him." Sam said.

"Not good enough. Besides, easy enough to look up a guy's name, fake being him." Silence, "What's Dean's favourite book?"

Sam couldn't stop a bit of a laugh. He muttered, "Busty Asian Beauties count as a book?"

"I heard that. Strike one."

Jess tried again, "Sweetie, this really is his brother. I met him over a year ago, when he came to Sam to help look for their father. We actually have news about his dad."

"I can tell you're lying through the speaker. Strike two."

Bobby finally exclaimed, "He just sent me a huge file of information for a case. I'm a private investigator and Dean was able to help me out, I just need to ask him a few questions."

There was some silence. "If I were to come down there, and draw a line of salt across the doorway, would you three still walk in?"

All three froze with realization. "Yeah girl, can even blast us with holy water if you want." Bobby added.

"He does have a favourite book you know Sam. He has lots of favourites and ones that he would say are his favourite if you asked him. But only one is his absolute true favourite."

Sam remembered something, a tiny nugget that slipped out of his mouth unbidden, " _I have been thinking about might and right_ ."

"So you are Arthur, and he's Merlin, I kind of wondered." There was a sigh, "I'm still not going to let you in, my dad would kill me. Dean would kill me. But they've already been out for a couple hours in the woods to the north, and it's cold, so they should be back before too long."

The girl clearly walked away from the intercom.

"What was that Sam?" Jess asked.

He smiled, " _The Once and Future King_. He would read it to me at bedtime was I was like six or seven." Then he realized what the girl had said. "Shit, the woods." The three ran to their car. They drove quickly along trying to find the woods that the girl mentioned. Eventually Bobby caught a glimpse of the Imapala and they pulled over.

The two men grabbed guns and knives. Jess made to follow, but Sam shook his head. "If this is a pureblood werewolf, it's strong, and fast. We can't be worried about keeping you safe. Stay here, we'll be back soon." In the street light they could see two sets of footprints trailing into the snow.

Jess nodded and locked the doors. Huddled into her coat, car left running in case she had to make a getaway. 15 minutes later she watched a red truck pull up on the other side of the Impala. She watched a scruffy man get out, also with a gun. He ghosted a hand over the Impala with affection. She watched as he easily jimmied the trunk and checked a secret compartment. He glanced up and saw Jess. Walked over. Jess gripped the wheel ready to floor it.

He stayed a pace away, didn't try to get her to roll the window down, or get out. "Hi Jess. I'm John Winchester." They both jolted at the sound of gun fire.

 

******

Dean was in awe. He stood there in a small open area of the woods and watched wolf Benny dart and play in the trees. He'd disappear for a few minutes and then coming bounding back, charging at Dean, spraying him with a bit of snow. Benny would carefully put his paws on Dean's shoulders, lick at the tip of his nose before being off again. Joyful, that was the only word Dean could think of, joyful. They had been at this for awhile now and Dean's bad leg was getting tired. This explained why he wasn't quite braced enough and when the wolf came charging and skidded a little, he took Dean down.

There was a panicked nip and whine, but Dean quickly rubbed his fingers through the fur, patting the scruff of neck.

"I'm fine babe. Bad leg just starting to get worn out. You had enough, how about we go home and warm up." Benny howled happily at that, panting in pleasure. He teeth gleamed in the light.

"My what big teeth you have." The line was even funnier to Dean as he lay in the snow wearing a red fleece hoodie.

Benny's head snapped over at the sound of a branch breaking. He snarled at the disturbance, ready to protect his mate from harm.

"Dean!" Sam yelled horrified that his vision was coming true. He saw his brother on the ground, large wolf on top of him. In his panic his shot went wide, missed. Bobby's didn't and caught the wolf in the flank. Benny howled in pain, scared, and angry. Terrified for his mate. Even with the bullet lodged in him, agonizing, he tried to move his bulk in front of Dean, to protect him. Dean in turn was trying to get up to protect Benny.

"Dean, crawl back, away!" Neither man was moving, too scared to accidentally hit Dean with the way man and wolf were moving.

"What the fuck guys? Lower your goddamn weapons." Dean quickly tried to assess the damage. There wasn't a lot of blood pouring out, that was something, but he could feel the bullet sitting in there. "Easy boy, we'll get you sorted out." Dean murmured, petting Benny's neck.

There was a crashing through the woods and John stood beside Bobby and Sam. All three had guns ready to fire.

"Dean move away - that's an order." John called out. Bobby and Sam relaxed a little, Dean would obey John.

"Not until you lower those weapons. We need to get him into a car, and back home. Figure out how to get this bullet out." Dean slowly got up, placed himself in front of the wolf. All three men were nonplussed.

"Dean that's a werewolf." Sam called out.

Dean thought fast, "Jeez kid, did a few years at Stanford make you paranoid or blind or something? It's my therapy dog. Irish Wolfhound mix. He'd been cooped up all day and we came out so he could run. And then you shot him."

"Dean I've been having visions, a wolf at your throat." None of the men were ready to lower their weapons.

"Yeah because my bum leg fell out from underneath me. He was checking me over for injuries, looking for blood. He would have run home and got help if it was needed." Dean tried infuse confidence into his voice. Please buy it, please buy it, please buy it he kept thinking. Dean wasn't known for lying to his father, so the men lowered their weapons. Went over to help. Dean kept his hood up.

"We need to get him to a vet." Sam said.

Dean shook his head, "and they'd call the cops. He'd get taken away from me. Help me get him into the car, we've all pulled enough bullets out, we can do this."

"Never in an animal Dean." John said, bending to look at the creature. "Awfully big for a dog Dean."

"I needed a big dog, something that could help prop me up if I got weak." Dean tried to put an apology in his eyes. Benny sort of nodded back. "Boy, my dad is going to carry you to the car, be kind."

John winced under the strain, but managed to get the dog up. Sam helped support and they made their way back to the vehicles. "I got it from here. How about all of you check into a motel and we'll talk about why you're all here in the morning."

"Dean you can't do this by yourself." Sam proclaimed. Bobby nodded in agreement. John had already moved on in his mind.

"Nah it's fine. I'll fix him up, always fixed you up Sammy didn't I?" Before anyone else could say anything Dean turned the ignition and drove away fast.

John looked at his youngest son, "Sam we need to talk."

"Am I the only one who thinks this is all fishy?" Sam asked.

Jess just shrugged, no real idea what was going on. She noticed something on the ground, bending down.

John looked at Sam, "This is more important. It's about the demon, it's about your visions."

"I don't give a crap about that right now Dad, something's going on with Dean!"

"No Sam, this matters more, this comes first!"

"It always did, never mind that one of your sons needs you right now."

"Dean will be fine." John reached over, put his hands Sam's shoulders, "We can finally get him, the demon. We can finally stop him."

"You've been saying that for years. We need to follow Dean." Sam yelled back, pushing John's hands off of him.

Bobby ignored the two guys posturing, it wasn't anything he hadn't heard before. Several times. Instead, Bobby's eyes were following Jess. Watching as she picked up the pair of jeans that had fallen out of the Impala. Jeans that were too wide for Dean.

"Didn't that girl say that Dean was out with her father? Where then was the other guy?" Jess asked, hands wavering a little as they held the pants.

All of them realized that Dean had driven off with an injured werewolf in the back of his car.

 

 

 


	12. Strong in the Face of Adversity

Dean drove home - fast. He parked right in the front of the door and hopped up the steps, hitting the buzzer for 206.

"Are you people back again?" Elizabeth yelled into the intercom.

"Violet Beaudelaire, girl." Dean went back to the car, tried to get Benny out on his own. A minute later Elizabeth came tearing out, knife in the back of her pants, baseball bat wrapped in the silver and iron chain. Dean had given the code for safe, but there are problems.

"My idiot brother shot your dad. He's in wolf form." Dean looked at her, "I think I convinced them he's a therapy dog, but they'll be hot on my tail. I don't know if I can get him in on my own."

Elizabeth ran back inside and brought a blanket. "It will be easier to get him into your place." she said. Between the two of them and what help Benny could offer they got him on the blanket and dragged him inside past the lock doors. It was a struggle to get him down the seven steps to the basement, but it beat the 21 up to their place. Benny was panting, whining on the blanket, Elizabeth and Dean were sweating, straining from the weight. All of them collapsed in his living room.

"They'll be along any minute." Dean huffed out, leg screaming in agony. He did his best to ignore it. "What do we do?"

Elizabeth tried to remember everything her dad had ever told her, "He can't shift with the bullet in there, too likely for it to move, cause more problems. Plus full moon, we get it out, he can heal in the next day or so. Have you ever..."

"Yeah, I've fished a bullet or two out. But I don't necessarily have the supplies."

"We do, in our place." Elizabeth kissed her dad's muzzle, "We'll fix it Daddy. Get him into the bathroom, wash the area, trim back the fur. I'll be right back."

Elizabeth ran up the steps and grabbed all the first aid stuff she and her dad had. On her way back down she saw a car and truck come screeching up, and ignored them. She tore into Dean's place. "They're here. How good at picking locks are they?"

Dean came out of the bathroom. "We should move something in front of the door." They settled for adding a chair under the handle, it would buy a couple extra minutes. The two humans and wolf were crowded into the small bathroom.

"We need to sanitize everything. Don't we?" Elizabeth was trying hard to be brave. Dean turned the taps on full hot. "Go get the mason jar of clear liquid from the left cupboard above the sink."

Elizabeth hopped to it, hearing the crash of the building front door slamming open. She grabbed the liquid and went back.

Dean had been running the scalpel and small forceps under the not quite boiling water and poured the moonshine over that. "Hope that does it." Dean looked at her, "Stay at his head, help keep him calm."

Elizabeth sat and pet her dad's neck and starting singing the old sea shanty that used to be her lullaby. They could hear people arguing in the hall. Dean ignored all the yelling, the singing, the drop of Elizabeth's tears hitting the tile, even Benny's small whines. He carefully cut open the skin a little more where he could feel the bullet resting. He pinched and pushed at the flesh, until he saw a bit of metal. Benny thrashed a little.

"Easy bear, please, so close." Banging at his door, the rattle of that chair. Dean grabbed the forceps and got hold of the bullet. He slipped, dug into muscle a bit, a snarl. Dean took a breath, steadied his hand and managed to get the bullet out. He tossed it into the sink and put sterile gauze over the wound.

"Does he need stitches?" Dean asked as they heard the chair snap under pressure.

"No, if we can keep it clean, it should be healed by mid-morning, maybe afternoon at the latest. Before this would have been healed in a couple hours. But he shouldn't shift back until then." The banging made its way to the bathroom door. Elizabeth hugged her dad with one hand, held tight to her baseball bat with the other.

"What, you all that interested in me taking a leak?" Dean yelled out. Elizabeth tried to muffle her laugh.

"Dean that's a werewolf in there with you!" Sam yelled banging on the door.

"Shit, really. I'll have to talk to the woman at the SPCA." Elizabeth's giggles grew loud enough to be heard. She and Dean had their backs braced against the door holding it closed as Sam tried to force himself in.

"Wait, is that the girl from before. If that's her dad, Dean she's a werewolf too!" Sam renewed his efforts. Bobby and John stood guns at the ready. Jess was behind them all in the kitchen. She noticed the only decoration was a couple of photos. One of Dean and that girl sitting on the hood of the Impala, staring at the sky and another of Dean and a man asleep together on a couch, holding hands.

"Oh." Jess realized. She put the kettle on for tea. Jess eased her way between all the posturing men. "Sweetie, I've put the kettle on, is there tea or hot chocolate?"

"Last cupboard on the end." Dean called out.

Sam stared at his fiancee completely confused. He stopped banging on the door. "What the hell Jess?"

"Are you going to kill a little girl -"

"I'm short, but not little, I'm 12, I've had my period!" Elizabeth called out. All the men in the room flinched.

"Not helping right now." They could hear Dean say.

"I'm sorry, but usually it's only one Winchester pointing a gun at me from the other side of a door, I panicked."

"You have to keep a cool head in a situation like this. How would you get out of here?" Dean asked.

Elizabeth thought about it. "I can't easily get out that window. Play scared, weak. Start crying my eyes out, let them think I'm completely broken. When I get some leg room, hit and book."

"Not bad, now -" Dean continued.

"Christ on a crutch boy, is now the best time for an object lesson?" Bobby yelled.

"Sorry, got distracted." Dean replied.

"Sorry." Elizabeth agreed. "Also, technically I'm not a werewolf. Just you know if you were thinking of shooting me. Kind of like how you shot my dad!"

"Hey, do you think this will transfer to being a scar on his ass when he shift?" Dean asked looking at the gauze. Benny just kept silent, storing energy in case he needed to attack.

"Ummm, I'd prefer you not to think about my dad's ass with that look on your face while I'm in the room." Elizabeth made a face.

"Hey having healthy communication with your child about sexuality is important. You need to feel free to ask us any questions, come to us with any concerns you may have." Dean intoned. Everyone out in the hall was wondering if those in the bathroom had gone insane.

"Did you actually read all those pamphlets I left out as a joke?" Elizabeth blanked at the thought.

Dean just shrugged, "had some time to kill."

"I'll tell you what I told Dad, I'll get all my answers off the internet." Elizabeth waited to see his reaction.

Dean nodded, "I tried that to help figure out some things. The internet will lead you down some very strange, very wrong roads. Also some sexy ones. Where there are costumes."

It was Elizabeth's turn to actually be freaked out, "Oh god, you called Dad bear." She shuddered. "Right, note to self, stick to freaking Dad out with this stuff."

"Yeah, probably good idea. You aren't actually mine, my threshold for sex talk with you is going to be slightly higher."

"Wasn't that day at the shop." Elizabeth countered. She raised her voice a little, "Can your Winchester go down the girl aisle at the drug store without freaking out?"

"Not really. I think it's because they were raised without a central female in their lives." Jess replied.

"Not helping Jess." Sam hissed.

"You ninja'd me! I can't be responsible for it when you ninja me." Dean proclaimed. Benny whined a little, in pain, but starting to find the whole situation absurd.

"Um," Sam began, "Did you guys forget all the people standing out here with guns?"

"No, but since I didn't hear any weapons hitting tables, figured we'd wait it out a bit." Dean called back.

"No one is shooting anyone right now." Jess called out. "Everyone is going to call down and we will fix this with a nice cup of hot chocolate."

"Marshmallows?" Both Dean and Elizabeth asked.

"Sure." Jess said. She gestured to all the men. Sam and Bobby lowered their weapons, but John refused. "Your father refuses to lower his weapon, but he won't be shooting anyone will he?" Jess glowered at the older man. She walked over and poked him in the arm - hard. "Will he?"

John rolled his eyes, but relaxed his grip on the gun. He looked at his younger son, "She's out of your league. Reminds me a little of your mom."

The kettle made it's noise and Jess went back to the kitchen, finding a handful of mugs, filling them with water and chocolate packets. And marshmallows She set them all on the table and sat on the couch. Sam automatically moved by her, to protect her. John stood, back to the wall, at an angle to fire at the bathroom if need be. Bobby grabbed the not broken kitchen chair and thumped into it, ignoring the mugs for his flask.

"Everyone has moved away now. You can come out." Jess called. The door slowly opened, Dean blocking the opening, so there was no chance to get a bead on the wolf or girl that were with him.

He eased out, closing the door behind him, adding a measure of safety for Benny and Elizabeth.

"Hey what about my hot chocolate?" Elizabeth yelled.

"Suck it up Buttercup." Dean said. "You two safe matters more than tasty beverages."

Dean walked over to the table and sat in the lazy boy across from Sam and Jess, keeping the corner of his eye on John. "So, what's new with everybody?" Dean slurped up a marshmallow "How was your drive up here? Winter weather, am I right?"

Sam's draw dropped at the casualness. "Dean." He paused. "Dean you have a pureblood werewolf in your bathroom right now."

"Yeah." Dean took another sip of his drink. He didn't say anything else.

"Why haven't you killed them Dean?" John asked.

"Well, she's 12 and a hybrid. Mom was human, so she's never yet manifested any wolfiness." Dean burned his tongue on too big a sip. "I find the thought of murdering a 12 year old child who has not shown any hint of changing to be a difficult step to take."

Sam nodded his understanding at that. Jess kept looking at the bathroom door, expecting what, she didn't know. Bobby just took another slug of whiskey.

"And the man? You know what he is, why is he still walking about?" John countered.

"Because he doesn't kill people. He's been here months, no reports of people missing hearts. Not here, not anywhere in the surrounding states. Benny's clean."

"He's where you got all that intel on the pureblood pack." Bobby chimed in.

"Yeah, they were his. He's been on the run for years. They would have killed Elizabeth for her lack of purity of DNA. He's kept her safe her whole life." Dean looked at his dad, "protecting your kid from a monster, it's something I can relate to."

"A few months of clean living doesn't mean anything. He's a killer Dean, it will out, it will always out. Just let me in there, and I'll finish it." John tried to make it sound like it was a simple thing.

"Years of keeping clean Dad years. And he swears he's never eaten a human heart." Dean carefully put his cup down. "And sir, you take one step to that room, I'll put you down. Hard."

John glared, "You don't speak like that to me."

"I do when you threaten mine."

"YOURS?" John yelled. "Dean, what's wrong with you? I didn't raise you like this. Why are you calling those monsters yours?"

"Mine Dad. Mine. My boyfriend. My girl. You don't go near them, not now, not ever. Benny ever goes evil, I'll kill him, but no one touches a hair on his head before then." Dean stood in his anger, wincing at the weight on his bad leg.

A dead silence filled the room. Dean realized what he said. He sat back down, dragged his fingers through his hair, pushing his hood up and off his face. He was so caught up in all the emotions, he didn't clue in this would be the first time his family saw his face.

Jess gasped, Sam paled, John actually lowered his gun.

Bobby broke the silence, "Healing up nicely there Dean."

"Thanks Bobby."

"Dean?" Sam swallowed. "What? How?"

"Wendigo. Bout a month after I left you." Dean shrugged, "Sucks, but I've gotten used to it." He grinned, "Besides he finds it sexy." Dean nodded his head to the bathroom.

"I heard that." Elizabeth called out. "Sexy is now on the banned word list."

"I could say worse." Dean replied.

"Oh really honey badger, what worse could you do?" Dean flushed. He didn't know that she had overheard that.

"Honey badger?" Sam laughed. Dean glared and Sam held up his hands in peace, "No, no. It's cute."

"Like pretty over there never calls you anything silly."

"Actually-" Jess started to chime in. Sam quickly clamped a hand over Jess's mouth.

Dean was about to add more, but John slammed a hand against the wall.

"Enough of this bullshit, we'll deal with the monsters later." John began.

"There's nothing to deal with, barring making sure Benny heals okay." Dean glared at Bobby who was mostly unrepentant.

"You come across a friend being tackled by a large wolf in the woods, see how you react."

Dean had to concede the point. He was about to respond when John got going again.

"I know the demon that killed your mom. I know why. And I know how to stop him." John was pleased that this finally got everyone's eyes on him.

"Brady said my time is coming due. What's that mean Dad?" Sam asked.

"I'm not talking about this here with monsters and civilians. Kick them all out Dean."

"Or, more easily the four of us can go up to Benny's place to talk." Dean called out. "Safe to come out Elizabeth, I need your keys."

The door to the bathroom opened and Elizabeth eased out, just as Dean had, so as to not provide access to Benny still lying on the floor. She kept a tight grip on her chain wrapped baseball bat, tossing the keys to Dean.

The men all stood, but John gestured at Bobby, "You stay here, keep an eye on the creatures that they don't hurt Sam's girl." Dean tensed at the words but forced himself not to say anything to his dad.

He looked at Bobby, "Try not to shoot anyone else I give a damn about, would you?"

"Not making promises boy." Bobby replied, but his gun stayed on the table. He got up to lock the door after the men.

The three Winchesters headed out.

Jess just sat there drinking her chocolate. Both she and Bobby looked over Elizabeth. Bobby, just like Dean, couldn't help himself. "With your height and arm strength, you'll want to choke up on that bat a little bit. You'll have to get closer in, but it will give you more push on your swing."

"What like this?" Elizabeth choked up and swung into Bobby's stomach, folding the man in half. "That's for shooting my dad. And yes I know to aim for the knees or balls, but Dean seemed not too pissed at you so I didn't want to cause permanent damage."

Elizabeth sat on the couch, looking at Jess, "Can I braid your hair, it's pretty?"

Jess agreed. Bobby decided to take his chances with the werewolf.

 

********

 

An hour and a half later Dean and Sam came back down. John having left after their meeting. Sam looked terrified and heartbroken. Dean looked angry. Elizabeth wondered if that was his hunter face. The tension in his jaw was causing the scars to whiten under the pressure.

He breathed out, tried to relax his shoulders. "How about you three go on up and crash in Benny's place. I'll keep them down here with me tonight. Looks like we're going to end this, one way or another tomorrow night. We all need some rest."

Sam clutched at Jess's hand and they headed out. Bobby was about to suggest finding a motel for himself, but Dean was one step ahead of them. "You need to keep an eye on him tonight. The place isn't warded, so salt the borders." Bobby left.

Elizabeth looked at Dean, "Can I cry now?" Dean nodded and Elizabeth started to sob, releasing the tension of the night. Dean opened the door to the bathroom and Benny inched his way across the floor, whining at Elizabeth's distress.

Dean pushed Elizabeth onto the couch, kissed her head. "I'll be right back." He went as quick as he could to the bedroom, grabbing all the blankets, sheets and pillows. He kicked the coffee table out of the way and set up a nest for the three of them for the night. Without thinking man and wolf situated themselves so that Elizabeth was in between them - for comfort, for protection.

Dean hated to say it, but he had to, "You two should be safe while my dad is focused on the demon. After that, I'll keep you safe. I promise."

A whine from Benny, and Elizabeth asked the question, "What's going on Dean?"

"My brother has been having visions. He had one about a wolf attacking me. So they all showed up to protect me. Well, Sam, Jess, and Bobby did. Dad showed up because we would all be together and it would be convenient for his plan." Dean rested on his back and stared at the ceiling. "When I was four, a demon killed my mom. She interrupted him while he was feeding Sam a little of his blood and the demon killed her. Azazel, the demon is Azazel. It turns out that blood is what is giving Sam visions. Azazel fed his blood to lots of kids and now they are all coming into their power."

"What's the power for?" Elizabeth asked. Power always has to be for something.

"To open the gates of hell." Dean sighed. "Dad said we kill Azazel, we stop everything in its tracks. No more visions for Sam, no more chance of hell opening up, revenge for mom."

"But how do you kill a demon? You can't."

"Turns out, there is one gun that can. Dad spent the last year hunting it down. Found it. So we summon the demon, get him stuck in a devil's trap and shoot him down. All over. Your dad told me about an abandoned cabin, out in the woods, a shack really, well away from everyone. We're going to do it there tomorrow afternoon, just need a few more supplies."

"Dean..." Elizabeth's voice trembled.

Dean just hugged her close, making sure that his arm draped over her enough to lay on Benny's back.

They all pretended to sleep.

********

 

In the morning the three awoke, stiff, tired, nervous. They checked Benny's flank and saw that it was mostly healed. They gave him the go ahead and he shifted back, throwing a sheet quickly over himself.

"How you feeling?" Dean asked, bumping his forehead against Benny's. Elizabeth went to make some breakfast to give them some privacy.

"Like I got shot in the ass." Benny replied. He grinned, "want to kiss it better?"

"Later maybe." Dean kissed Benny's mouth instead.

"You're bringing me and Bobby along later right?" Benny asked quietly.

Dean shook his head. "Dad won't trust you, especially right now while you are at your strongest. And he wants Bobby here to keep Jess safe."

Benny was about to protest but there was a knock at the door.

"There are some sweats in the bedroom you can borrow." Dean said and Benny took off.

Sam still looked a little broken, but better. Jess was trying to keep an upbeat attitude. Bobby looked annoyed - so like Bobby. Elizabeth started some bacon and toast. Which was really the entirety of Dean's food.

Dean hugged Sam. "Okay there?"

"Not really. I've got demon blood in me Dean." Sam sounded lost.

"Yeah, but we get this dealt with, you can forget about that and go back to your apple pie life." Dean tried for reassuring. It worked, at least a little.

Sam smiled, "You still have the book."

"Book?" Dean asked.

" _Once and Future King_." Sam's smile grew as Dean flushed a little.

"What, it just was at the bottom of my bag. Forgot it was there or something." Dean went to the kitchen to help Elizabeth. And hide from his brother. Elizabeth just kicked him in the shin and sent him back out there.

"Don't leave my dad hanging." She practically growled. Dean went back to the living room, just as Benny was opening the bedroom door.

Dean couldn't help but like the look of Benny in his clothes, even if there were straining at the shoulders, and a little long. He smiled at Benny who was hovering in the doorway, reasonably worried about the company.

Benny came forward a bit, "Heard some about you. Pleasure to meet you Sam." He held out his hand. Sam crossed his arms and glared. Benny dropped his hand. "Got it."

"We'll count you shooting me as an introduction then?" He asked Bobby.

"So you and Dean are what buddies?" Bobby asked.

"Good buddies." Benny winked at Dean, enjoying the colour that grew on his cheeks.

"That why you gave him all that intel? Way to stay on his good side, bribe him into stuff maybe?" Bobby queried unwilling to trust Benny.

"And what exactly would I be bribing Dean into?" Benny asked, starting to step forward. Bobby and Sam both started to crowd in as well.

"Or I asked Benny for the information as a way to apologize to him." Dean said stepping in between all the men.

"Apologize for what?" Jess was curious.

Dean hung his head, sheepish. "Apologize for thinking about killing him - twice. And threatening Elizabeth."

"You were going to kill him?" Sam looked to the kitchen, "them?"

"Jesus Sam, of course I was. Might not be able to really hunt anymore, but I'm still a fucking hunter. I find out there's a pureblood werewolf hanging around, I'm not baking him snickerdoodles"

Elizabeth snorted from the kitchen, "I knew you loved them." She put a pile of bacon and toast on the table. "Food's available. Dad you need to eat."

"I know babe. Honey badger want me to get you some?"

"Wait, so honey badger is actually a thing?" Jess was giggling like a loon.

"I know, gross isn't it?" Elizabeth added. Dean just flipped them off.

"It's a manly and cool nickname." Dean complained. But maybe he smiled a little when Benny handed him some food.

Sam was still trying to catch up. "You like girls."

"Yeah."

"No, I mean you really like girls. I caught you in the back of the Impala countless times."

Dean rolled his eyes, "I know, you were a pain in the ass."

"So now you're gay?"

"Sam." Jess hissed.

"Would have thought California would have opened your mind a little more than that." Dean shrugged. "I don't know what I am. I like girls, I like Benny."

"But you never liked guys."

"I may have looked once or twice, but no never really liked before." Dean mowed through a sandwich, Benny three.

"Guy and a werewolf?"

"Benny once asked me which of that bothered me more, still not sure. What about you?"

Sam couldn't think of a response. "But. It's just. I mean."

Dean clapped an arm around Sam, "Look, he doesn't think I'm a chud, he makes me laugh, can beat me at pool, and we're taking it slow. I think we have a bigger problem right now don't we?"

"Right. Azazel." Sam said. "Do you think Dad's plan will work?"

"I don't know. As for how these things go, it's a solid idea, but there are still a lot of ifs."

"Having me and Bobby there should help right?" Benny asked. "You weren't serious about your dad keeping us away."

Bobby nodded, agreeing with the wolf.

The Winchester boys looked at each other. "Dad was dead serious, Benny. He sees either of you there, he'll call the whole thing off and we'll do it later. He won't trust you, no matter what I said. Doesn't even trust you enough to leave Jess with you. That's why Bobby can't be with us. Besides this is a Winchester fight. Got to do it alone."

"That's bullshit and you know it." Bobby exclaimed. "This has affected dozens of families, pulled down more than one hunter, and it's not your battle alone. Last I checked gates of hell open, we're all screwed."

Dean sighed, "It's the way it's going to be." He looked at the clock. "I want to shower and then Sam and I should head out. Hit a range, make sure Sam can actually still shoot."

Dean limped out of the room. There was a tense silence between the men. Elizabeth and Jess ignored them and chatted with each other about books and movies.

20 minutes later Dean came out of the bathroom and headed towards the bedroom, gesturing for Benny to follow. Dean got dressed, and grabbed his seldom used knee brace, slipping it on under his jeans. He stood before Benny, unsure what to say.

Finally he just kissed the older man, "I'm very happy I met you bear."

Benny kissed him back, "Honey badger you better come back to me. I haven't even given you a blow job yet - you don't want to miss that."

Dean laughed a little. "Maybe you should tell me why your kid thinks I'm your Snow."

"Nah. Further incentive to come home. Just, it's a good thing being my Snow." They stood there in a hug for another minute. Sam was already out in the hall, Jess could be heard crying in the kitchen.

Dean just nodded to Bobby, nothing more was needed there.

He looked at Elizabeth, who in turn looked at him, " _suppose they did not let you stand against all the evil in the world_ ." she quoted.

" _I could ask_ ." Dean replied.

"How come you are both Arthur?" She asked.

Dean kissed her head, "the secret is that we're both Merlin too."

"Merlin always comes back." Elizabeth hugged Dean.

"He does at that." Dean left without another word.

Benny came out of the bedroom a couple minutes later, tense. All four of them were tense.

Finally Elizabeth couldn't take it anymore, "How long do you two have to wait before you follow them?" Jess nodded in agreement.

"I was planning to head out soon, so I could set up a stakeout." Bobby replied.

"You won't know where to go without me." Benny said to Bobby.

"I'm to trust you?"

"Going against a demon this strong, you telling me, you don't want some extra juice behind you? Even weakened like I am these days, still takes some work to kill me."

"Can you shoot?"

Benny grinned, "Don't need no gun."

They turned to the women, who sighed at being a cliche. But still, "We'll stay here in the warded apartment, armed and ready to protect our virtue." Elizabeth said.

"Yes, yes, the women will stay and darn socks, and be thankful for the protection of the big strong men. Why we'll even cook dinner and have a cocktail ready for your return."

Benny hugged his daughter. "Every day I'm damn proud of who you are."

"I know Daddy."

The other two guys left. Jess and Elizabeth began to wait.

 

 

 


	13. No Such Thing as a 'Good' Bye

To call the place a cabin was generous. It was an elaborate shack, no plumbing, a roof that was only half intact, but it would serve their purposes. John had spent the day in the place painting devil's traps, and getting the summoning sigil ready. Eventually Sam and Dean arrived, armed to the hilt.

"Those won't do any good. Only the colt can kill him." John lovingly removed the colt from its box, running a finger over the engraving. "There's just four bullets left for it. We don't have room for mistakes."

Dean went over, leaned against a table, just to take some weight off his leg, though the brace was definitely helping. He had to admit with winter settling in, he might start wearing it more. If he got the chance that was.

Sam took up a space at the other end of the cabin, the three Winchesters forming a sort of triangle in the small space. John put the necessary ingredients into a old brass bowl. "Ready."

"Yes sir." Dean's voice.

"Yeah." Sam's.

John dropped a match into the bowl. There was a woosh of noise, a distant sound of thunder. a blink and a cloud. Another blink and there stood Azazel.

He looked average. Except for the eyes, those were the yellow of John's memory. John pointed the gun at Azazel.

The demon shook his head, "Oh Winchesters, no hello, no small talk, just a summons and a loaded weapon? How disappointing." He tried to move, but the trap painted on the bit of ceiling that was there kept him in place. "All prepared I see. Well, you got me. Bravo."

"Do I really have demon blood in me?" Sam asked.

"Just a few drops, just enough to power you - if you wanted it." Azazel grinned, "You could have so much power Sam, be so strong, bow to no one. You just would have to focus, maybe add a little."

"You mean drink more demon blood." John sneered.

"Power always has a price. Look at what you paid to get that gun. In man hours, in blood of friends, in money." Azazel shrugged, "Not so different are we?"

"We're plenty different." John aimed the gun at the demon's head, "This is for Mary."

Azazel just smiled. There was a crack and the ceiling shifted under the weight of snow on it. "Uh oh." The crack broke the devil's trap and Azazel smoked - right into John.

 

*******

Benny and Bobby were moving swiftly through the woods. Benny had found the cabin a month ago when out on a run, had told Dean about it one night. Didn't think this would be its purpose.

"Can we actually trust John Winchester?" Benny asked. Dean had only talked about the man when drunk and what he had said was never comforting.

"Hell if I know." Bobby kept his eyes moving as they cut through the trees. "He does love those boys. But he's been consumed by the idea of revenge for twenty plus years. If he has the chance for that, I'd like to think he'd keep the boys safe, but..."

Benny nodded, "but." They hit a small divergence in the path. "It's just ahead on the left." Benny paused and started stripping down.

Bobby quickly looked away, "what are you doing?"

"Don't have the money to constantly ruin clothes." Benny pushed off his jeans and underwear. "I'm going to be strongest like this." Bobby watched as quick as a blink Benny shifted into a wolf.

"Hope this helps." Bobby followed Benny through the woods. "To grandmother's house we go." Bobby said to himself. Wolf Benny huffed and nudged the hunter.

 

*********

 

The Colt had been dropped in the process of Azazel taking over John and Dean managed to make a grab for it. He watched his dad's eyes go yellow and pointed the weapon.

"Come on Dean, we both know you're not going to shoot dear old Dad."

"He'd want me to." Dean replied.

"Well sure, but that doesn't mean you have the balls to do it." Azazel turned John's back on Dean and faced Sam.

Smiled. "You have such potential Sam, you could front Lucifer's army, help us get him back. You could be mighty."

"Why would I want that? Why would I ever agree to that?"

"Because if you don't agree to leave with me, your daddy and Dean will die. I'll kill this meat suit and kill your brother without even blinking. You like to pretend you left your family behind, that they don't matter to you, but I think that might stop you a tick."

"Don't you go anywhere with that son of a bitch Sam." Dean ordered.

Azazel made a sweeping motion with his hand that had Dean flying through the air into the wall of the cabin, shaking the whole thing. Shingles fell, beams shifted. Dean groaned, couldn't quite get himself up. The gun had fallen out of his hand, just out of reach.

"Think about it Sammy." Azazel continued, "You come with me, you have a chance to save your family. Maybe even have a chance to save yourself. Continue this farce, and I burn it all down. Easy choice it seems to me."

Sam faltered.

Azazel felt smug, pleased, but then started choking a little. Azazel was powerful, but John had over twenty years of anger, bitterness, and determination behind him. He fought the demon's hold, forcing the demon back into his brain.

"Use the Colt." John shouted. "End this." His body slammed into the ground, both wrestling for control in his head. John managed to roll so that he was at least inside one of the other painted devil's traps. It was a Pyrrhic victory - Azazel couldn't ghost out, but that meant he stayed inside John.

Yellow eyes appeared, "Yes Dean. Kill your dad."

Brown, "Do it son, that's an order."

Yellow, "Good little soldier, can you live with ending your dad, I somehow doubt it. Sam though, bet you could do it. Just pick up the gun and end all the misery you've ever had. Go back to California, leave it all behind. Come on Sam, kill me." Azazel challenged.

Sam moved over to the gun. Dean scrambled to push it away from his brother. "No. You don't do this. We'll figure something out. We don't kill our father!"

"Dean, we can end it all here and now. You heard Dad he wants this." Sam bent to pick up the gun, Dean swatted him away.

"You do this, we're nothing to each other." Dean yelled.

"I do this, we're free." Sam countered.

Azazel laughed, pleased at all the discord. He was pushed back again.

"It's okay boys, do your job." John said. "Kill him."

"No!" Dean yelled.

Sam went for the gun. Dean punched him and they fell to the ground wrestling. They traveled over the ground, scrabbling. Dean's boot scraped at the trap once again freeing Azazel. He was ready to smoke out, come claim Sam another day, when the cabin door burst open.

Wolf Benny came snarling in, distracting everyone. He headbutted Sam, getting him off Dean, stood over Dean, his mate, in protection.

John managed to get control one last time. "Bobby, the colt." Bobby had no hesitation, he had killed his wife, killing an old friend was nothing. He lined up to take the shot. "I love you boys." John said before the bullet pierced his brain, killing him.

Killing Azazel.

Dean and Sam stared in horror as their father's body slumped to the ground, all life gone. They crawled over to where their dad lay, not quite believing what they were seeing. Benny padded over to stand by Bobby. They walked outside to give the Winchesters some privacy.

Hearing Dean's harsh breath, his tears, Benny couldn't help but raise his head and howl.

Bobby bowed his head, "Forgive me old friend. May you find peace. May you be with Mary."

30 minutes later Dean and Sam came out, looking ragged. Dean wouldn't really look at wolf or man. "We need to torch the building. Hunter's funeral, hide, destroy it all."

"I have some extra gas in the car. We'll go get it." Bobby and Benny headed out. They were gone for a time, but neither Dean nor Sam said anything.

When they came back, Benny had shifted back to human, clothed, having grabbed his dropped clothes along the way. He reached for Dean, Dean ignored it. Dean grabbed the gas can and walked back into the shack, stopping Sam from joining him. He came back out and crouched, lit the path of gas.

The four watched the cabin burn.

It didn't take long really to go down to ash. When it was a few beams and embers, Dean started to walk away. As he passed by Benny, his hand just sort of brushed Benny's. They fell into a pace together. They made it back to where the cars were, Bobby electing to be the one to drive John's car back to the apartment.

Sam and Dean didn't say a word to each other in the Impala. In his beat up truck Benny prayed that Dean was okay. They all made their way down to Dean's place. Benny saying Beaudelaire. Jess opened the door and they all got a face full of holy water.

"Good girl." Benny said. They all tromped in, Dean going straight for one of the whiskey bottles.

"Where's your dad?" Jess asked.

Sam shook his head. "Bobby killed him."

Jess tried to push Elizabeth behind her. It was a sweet gesture, that raised Jess's stock even more with everyone else in the room (especially because it was more likely that Elizabeth was the one able to kick ass).

"Azazel had taken over Dad. Dad wanted it." Sam hugged his fiancee tight.

"There could have been another way." Dean argued.

"How boy?" Bobby asked. "Seemed fairly over a barrel in there. You heard your daddy."

"It could have been Azazel manipulating him." Dean tried to argue.

"Dean." Sam said softly.

Dean slumped into the couch. Benny took a chance and sat beside him. Elizabeth sat on the ground, just sort of touching Dean's bad leg.

"He deserved better. He deserved more." Dean explained.

Sam sat across from him, "He had revenge for mom. He kept us safe, kept the world safe if what Azazel said was true. I don't know if there is any better than that for a hunter."

Dean couldn't really fight that point. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Bobby poured everyone a shot of whiskey - even Elizabeth. She checked with her dad and he nodded.

"To John." Bobby said pouring the shot back.

"To John." They all said. The next sound was Elizabeth sputtering and choking. Gagging. It made Dean smile.

Dean looked at Bobby put their dad's hunting journal on the table. "His truck is fully loaded. I can take it back to Sioux Falls with me, see that the weapons get to some hunters, deal with the truck itself. Thought you might want this though." He looked at Dean.

"You know, you've still got the instincts, the knowledge." Bobby said.

"Yeah and I can't walk more than a couple blocks, slowly." Dean countered.

Sam thought about it, "But you can still help."

Dean snorted, "Really, how?"

"Be me, here out east." Bobby said like it was obvious. "Do research, fake phone calls. Lay in supplies, provide a place to crash if need be. You miss it. This lets you miss it a little less."

Dean thought about it. There were worse ideas. But he was pretty isolated up here. "I'd have to move somewhere a little more central. I don't want to..."

Benny and Elizabeth smiled, "Ain't nothing tying us here Dean. Let Elizabeth finish the last couple weeks of school, let me give notice at the hospital."

"You'd do that?"

"Kind of got to - you're my Snow." Benny kissed Dean's head.

"You keep saying that, what in the actual fuck does it mean?" Dean grumbled.

Elizabeth giggled. Jess clued in. "Hah, you're his Snow White."

"What?!" Dean and Sam yelled.

"It's a comic book. _Fables_. The big bad wolf recognized the scent of Snow White while they all had to flee the fairy tale realm, realized it was perfect - helped her and others escape. He then joined them and went sort of good, became like a cop and he loved her and eventually they got together. They got married in issue fifty."

Sam looked at Jess, "What, it's a good story." she explained.

Sam thought about ragging on Dean, but left it alone - for now.

"Snow White. I'm goddamned Snow White." Dean punched Benny in the arm. "See if I let you move somewhere with me now."

Benny just ignored him.

"Hate to say it Sam, but you're going to have to move too." Bobby said over the bickering. "You were being watched, and I bet there are some who'd be interested in Azazel's plans."

Sam was oddly calm about it, "Not like I was doing so hot at that law school thing. I was probably going to flunk out anyways. Having demonic sent visions really plays hell with your studying capabilities. You up for moving Jess, maybe east?" Sam didn't quite look at Dean as he said that. Dean didn't quite smile.

"I can handle that." Jess replied.

"I'm going to head back home then. I'll make a few phone calls, see if I can find you a place Dean. Sam try to keep in touch this time."

"Christmas is only a couple weeks away, you could stay." Dean offered.

Bobby smiled, "Nah boy, I know you're mostly okay with it, but that don't mean you want to share that much time and space with the guy who killed your daddy." He had a point. It would prey on Dean some. Dean looked at Sam.

"We need to head out too, get things sorted, but we'll talk yeah?" Sam asked.

"Yeah." There were hugs and back slaps and Jess and Elizabeth exchanging information to keep in touch. Elizabeth was happy there was actually going to be a woman in the family.

The others left and it all seemed so easy. Benny pulled Elizabeth aside and asked her to go upstairs, she was confused but agreed.

Benny sat back down on the couch with Dean and waited. He didn't have to wait long. Benny watched as the sadness and anger and loss crept over Dean's face. The crash, the realization of loss hit Dean hard. He tried to stop the sobs, keep them in, but they just poured out.

Soon Dean was bent over, in half, clutching his stomach desperate for air. Benny didn't say anything just rubbed his back. Eventually he started to whistle softly, soothingly. Dean grabbed the whiskey bottle from the table and threw it against the wall, the shatter and splash not really helping. He followed it up with the glasses on the coffee table.

"Sam would have done it." Dean was almost gagging on all his feelings. "Sam could have just shot our dad. How? How could he have done it?" Dean looked at Benny, "Does it make me weak that I couldn't have?"

"No, darlin' it makes you human." Benny held out his hand, and Dean sat back down. Grabbed it tight. "Sam is the one that had the most to lose if Azazel's plans came about. Being told you could be meant to lead hell's armies, open the door for Lucifer's eventual return. A man would do a lot to stop that."

"He was always mad at Dad, maybe it was -" Dean began.

"No, you go down that road, you'll never look at your brother the same, and I think that might break you. He's your brother. You got to hold onto that." Benny cupped Dean's face. "Are you mad at Bobby?"

Dean nodded a little, "He did do what Dad wanted, but-"

"But he still shot your dad. It's okay, be as angry as you need, for as long as you need. He seems like the sort to be able to take it."

Dean laughed a little, "Yeah he's a tough old codger." Dean was worn out, curled into Benny. "It hurts."

"Going to for awhile I'd imagine." Benny wrapped his arms around Dean. "We'll be here though. If that helps."

"Doesn't hurt." Dean glanced at the wall, "Wish I hadn't wasted the whiskey."

"Think there is still some moonshine in the bathroom from you using it to clean the first aid stuff last night."

Dean shuddered. "Fuck that was just last night? Too much, all just too fucking much."

Benny nodded in agreement. "Want some peace and quiet?"

"No." Dean answered. "Stay like this, just for a little longer."

"Okay."

An hour or so later Dean said quietly, "He would have come around to you eventually."

Benny smiled a sad smile, "No, he wouldn't have."

"Okay, no he wouldn't have, but he probably wouldn't have tried to kill you - much." Dean smiled.

"I suppose that's something then." Benny replied.

"Let's go upstairs. See if there are snickerdoodles" Dean finally said.

The two men headed upstairs, and sure enough the smell of sugar and cinnamon permeated the hall.

 

 


	14. Epilogue

The three of them stood in the driveway and stared at the house. And stared some more. No one was willing to take the first step closer.

Elizabeth tried to look on the positive side, "It has a roof?"

"Who paints a dick on a roof? In January?" Dean asked.

"It's a well done dick?" Benny offers. "I mean considering they were working over shingles, the pain barely drips...except where....oh." He turned to his daughter, "Should I be covering your eyes?"

"Plumbing and electricity are all supposed to be up to code. And working." Dean offered.

"So go inside." Elizabeth dared.

"Fine. Watch me." He didn't really take a step.

Benny rolled his eyes. "Come on." He pushed his family forward, "Remember - living here for free so long as we fix it up? That was the deal Rufus cut Bobby. And there's woods for running, and even a small hitch in the water, so if we're still here in summer we can see about a boat." He cracked open the door, "And a family of I'm not sure what in our living room."

"Possums? Are there possums in Maryland?"

"Fuck if I know." Dean replied to Elizabeth. The house structure was sound, but dirty, a couple windows needing replacing, minor floor repairs, painting, and the like. Dean flicked a light switch and it worked. The could also hear the heat kicking in. All of them sighed in relief.

They explored their new home, claimed bedrooms, Elizabeth happy there was a bathroom and an extra bedroom in between her room and where her dad and Dean would stay. It was too late to check out the basement, though they were warned it was not pleasant and would require the most work (something about flooding and a goo from a skinwalker).

They returned to the living room and unfurled sleeping bags, exhausted. A truck with furniture would be arriving tomorrow.

Benny stared at the ceiling. "Oh look, more dicks." They all giggled and passed out.

 

***********

 

It took a couple weeks to settle in. Elizabeth was enrolled in school and started. Benny explored the woods around them during the full moon. Dean threw himself into cleaning and repairing the house so as not to deal with what he was feeling. Slowly it was beginning to look like a home.

Benny actually made a bookcase for the living room for Dean and Elizabeth's books. The trades of _Fables_ had a place of pride, having been Elizabeth's Christmas gift to Dean. He finally properly understood her jokes. He was okay being called Snow - that woman kicked serious ass.

It turned out when he had people to take care of, Dean was a good cook. Elizabeth kept teasing down to a minimum. It was almost like a normal family. Who had 5 phone lines labeled with different federal agencies. And a slowly being built panic room in the basement that could hold anything. And a collection of lore books that grew by the day.

It was Saturday night and the guys managed to find a bar to go to, shoot some pool. Dean kept his hood up for the first hour, but was relaxed enough with Benny there, to uncover his face. Only a couple people flinched. Dean was able to ignore it. They were home by midnight, Dean making jokes about how old they were.

They went into their bedroom, words that made Dean still flush - their bedroom. That had yet to be really christened. Both men had just been too tired, too unsettled to really do much. And Dean remembered a promise. They stripped down to boxers and Dean said, "You owe me a blow job."

"Say again, honey badger?" Benny asked. As usual when it came to sex, Dean had blindsided him.

"Awhile ago you promised a blow job if I gave you a decent hand job. I did and we got busy and now we're not busy and I want a blow job." Dean grinned and pulled at the waistband of his underwear, "I can even whip it out for you, if you want."

"Good lord, why did I decide you were my mate again?" Benny asked the ceiling.

"I'm adorable." Dean replied, pushing down the boxers. He wasn't hard yet, but knew it wouldn't take Benny much to get him there. "So where do you want me? Because I'm all for letting me lie down, with my leg I'm likely to collapse on you if it takes too long."

"I'm sorry, but are you complaining about the potential of me taking too long sucking your cock?" Benny stared at Dean.

"Right, came out wrong - you know what I meant." Dean tried his charming smile.

"Oh just get on the damn bed." Dean happily sank into the memory foam, wiggled into a comfortable angle, put a hand behind his head. He had no problems admitting he was posing a bit. He waved his free hand in the direction of his happy bits. "Have at it bear."

"How about I start up here?" Benny asked before kissing Dean. It was a slow, soft kiss. A warm up for more. He moved slowly to the side of Dean's neck that was unscarred and sucked a deep hickey. It made Dean laugh, and also turned him on. He might have liked when Benny marked him up - not that he'd ever say anything.

Benny meandered his way down Dean's body, leaving tons of mark, making the younger man restless. Dean shifted on the bed, looking for more. But Benny was taking his time. He liked making Dean suffer, just a little bit.

But Benny broke when he looked up and saw Dean's pretty pout, made all the sadder because of that scar through the lip. Benny couldn't last against that look.

"Fine." he sighed, settling between Dean's legs. He gently kissed the tip of Dean's dick which by this time was hard, aching for touch, for relief. Benny kept it light flicking his tongue back and forth over the tip, making Dean moan. He licked a stripe up the length and then went a little lower to suck on his balls, leaving a fair bit of spit behind. Dean had never really had anyone pay that much attention to his balls, it was nice, Benny's mouth so warm.

"Please." Dean said quietly, hips moving, seeking just more.

Benny bit the crux of Dean's leg, enjoying Dean's gasp. Only then did he actually wrap his mouth around Dean's length and suck. He lowered his head slowly, taking as much as he could. It had been a long time since he had done this, but he remembered the rhythm well enough. His head bobbed up and down and he tried to co-ordinate sucking and running his tongue along the underneath of Dean's dick. It seemed to be working as Dean was moaning Benny's name, saying things like yes, and oh fuck, and more, god, please more.

Benny grew comfortable with the motions, picking up speed, and going deeper, but careful not too go to far and gag, it would kind of kill the mood. His jaw was getting a little sore, but he could feel Dean's balls tightening under his hand. Benny moved his fingers in time with his mouth's actions and shortly thereafter his mouth was flooded with come.

He swallowed as best he could, wiping the bit that escape. He made his way up the bed, smiling at the dazed look on Dean's face. He kissed the mark he left on Dean's neck.

"Okay, bear, that was awesome." Dean rolled a little so that he could curl into Benny. "Want me to take care of you?" he asked, sleepy, satisfied. He fought back a yawn.

"Nah, you're tired. Mind if I just..." Benny slid his own hand down to his straining erection.

"Oooh free peep show." Dean watched avidly as Benny brought himself off, making mental notes about what Benny seemed to like.

Benny wiped his hand on the sheet once he was done.

"You're on laundry duty for that." Dean yawned again.

"I'm on laundry anyways. Not the biggest threat honey badger." Benny kissed the top of Dean's head.

They were drifting off when Dean asked, "Is this what normal people do?"

"Close enough I guess." Benny replied. "If you ignore all the wards, salt lines, weapons lockers, hunter journals, and raw steaks."

"I can handle it." Dean said thoughtfully.

"You sure? Might get bored." Benny looked at Dean's eyes, shadowed in the dark.

"Worse case scenario, we'll play lost little red." Dean joked. Benny raised a brow. "My, what big eyes you have." Dean said. Benny was at the low point of his shifting capabilities but Dean did like to tease. It was a far cry from trying to kill the werewolf just a few months ago.

"Go to sleep honey badger." Benny said, "Or I'll eat you up."

Dean did as he was told.

 

 

 


End file.
